Big Time Final Fantasy: Realm Reborn
by Epic Networks
Summary: Big Time Rush crossovers with beloved Final Fantasy characters as the 4 Warriors of Light! CHAPTER XIII is up! The four warriors of Light from our world meets Class Zero in this first episode of the upgraded version to the fanfic crossover, featuring everything Final Fantasy XIV Realm Reborn, and more Fabula Nova Crystallis goodness.
1. BTFF: Cast of Characters

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Cast of Characters**-**_

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**Big Time Rush – The Four Warriors of Light::  
**These four hockey-playing, musical popstar best friends for life have now taken the role of heroes. Do they have what it takes to save a universe across the Final Fantasy and across dimensions? And how are they gonna get back home anyway?

-**Kendall Knight **(Knight Class)**  
-James Diamond **(Master Class)**  
-Carlos Garcia **(Ninja Class)**  
-Logan Mitchell **(Black Wizard Class)

**xXx**

**Dissidia Final Fantasy Characters::  
**The characters from Dissidia and Dissidia Duodecim includes the Villains of Darkness and the Heroes of Light, as well as their Assistants.

-**Warrior of Light, Arus **(FFI)**  
-Garland **(FFI)**  
-Firion **(FFII)  
**-The Emperor **(FFII)  
**-Onion Knight, Luneth **(FFIII)  
**-Cloud of Darkness **(FFIII)  
**-Cecil Harvey **(FFIV)  
**-Kain Highwind **(FFIV)  
**-Golbez **(FFIV)  
**-Bartz **(FFV)  
**-Gilgamesh **(FFV)  
**-Exdeath **(FFV)  
**-Terra Branford **(FFVI)  
**-Kefka Palazzo **(FFVI)  
**-Cloud Strife **(FFVII)  
**-Tifa Lockhart **(FFVII)  
**-Sephiroth **(FFVII)  
**-Squall Leonhart **(FFVIII)  
**-Laguna Loire **(FFVIII)  
**-Ultimecia **(FFVIII)  
**-Zidane Tribal **(FFIX)  
**-Kuja **(FFIX)  
**-Tidus **(FFX)  
**-Yuna **(FFX)  
**-Jecht **(FFX)  
**-Shantotto **(FFXI)  
**-Prishe **(FFXI)  
**-Vaan **(FFXII)  
**-Judge Gabranth **(FFXII)  
**-Lightning **(FFXIII)  
**-Cosmos **(DDFF)  
**-Chaos **(DDFF)  
**-Feral Chaos **(DD-012)

**xXx**

**Final Fantasy Characters::  
**This section includes the recurring characters that appears in the entire Final Fantasy series. New characters subject to be added by readers' request. (**_New)_**

-_Lukhan_**_  
_**_-Shinryu ____  
-King Cornelia  
-Princess Sarah  
-Matoya  
-Leon __  
-Dragon King Bahamut __  
-Primarch Dysley/Barthandelus __  
-Phantom Train__  
-Bonga Bugle Head Editor__  
-Penelo__  
-Balthier and Fran__  
-Queen Ashe__  
-Basch__**  
**-Emperor Larsa  
-Kytes and Filo__  
-Sky Pirates__**  
**-Donga (appeared on FFXII - Revenant Wings)**  
**-Ba'Gamnan  
-Montblanc__**  
**-Hurdy**  
**-Luso  
_

**xXx**

**Original Characters::  
**Original characters by readers' request. Subject to be added. (**_New)_**

**-Tina the White Mage: **A young cheerful white mage from Elfheim who occasionally joins the guys on their adventure with her trusty black chocobo, Chocolate.

**-Chocolate the Chocobo**: Tina's young Black Chocolate. He is Tina's best friend and the two always get themselves into cocky situations. He says random things like a parrot.

-**Aria the White Mage**: A strong-willed, smart and caring white mage who lost her family to the Villains of Darkness. She's traveling with Fate and Valerie who shares her same fate. They call themselves the Magick Sisters in their efforts.

-**Fate the Red Mage**: A cocky, stubborn, yet gentle red mage who lost her family to the Villains of Darkness. She's traveling with Aria and Valerie who shares her same fate. They call themselves the Magick Sisters in their efforts.

-**Valerie the Black Mage**: A shy, clumsy, and super-sensitive black mage who lost her family to the Villains of Darkness. She's traveling with Aria and Fate who shares her same fate. They call themselves the Magick Sisters in their efforts.

-**Reina, the Gunner**: As a Gunner and a rebel, Reina has lived most of her life on the road with no family and hardly anybody to turn to. When the prophecy starts to take action and she meets the legendary Four Warriors of Light, she figures that there is nothing else going for her. So why not help out the side of good for a little while? She's quiet, strong-willed, bold, selfless and innocent.

-**Jack, the Dark Knight**: Sarcastic, funny, adventurous, but selfish, Jack knows that he can be a jerk at times, and he also knows he can be hell-of-a hero too. But, with his dark past, he makes sure that he hides his emotions with his funny, go-getting personality. He only decides to help the Four Warriors of Light because it seemed that a lot of hot girls were joining them… and he loves girls! But he still has that feeling he'll turn dark side soon enough.

-**Ryuji, the Dragon Knight**: An easygoing dragoon with fierce combative skills and a playful attitude that can make girls think very differently of him. Hailing from a clan of Dragoons in Vana'diel, he traveled the world with his pet dragon Shiki until tragic news of his homeworld falling into Chaos's hands reached him and rendered the race of his beloved wyvern Shiki to go near extinction. So the duo now seeks revenge and joins the Warriors of Light for the cause.

-**Shiki, the Wyvern**: -A 400ft blue and white colored wyvern, who can shrink down to miniature size when not fighting alongside her wyvern master Ryuji. is sometimes a shy dragon when it comes to meeting new people, but later gets over her shyness and gets along with others. Like Ryuji, she vows to avenge the lost of her tribal race alongside Ryuji and joins the Warriors of Light with him for the cause.

-**Artemis, the Dark Emperor**: A cold and ruthless man who once ruled the Garlean Empire with an iron fist and a thirst for pleasurable executions until his assassination, all leading up to the events of Final Fantasy XIV. Artemis was appointed by Chaos to not only rule the Garlean Empire again as a Dark Emperor, but to take control of any other empires as his, commanding evil armies and underworldly creatures in the effort to take down the Warriors of Light. Rumor has it; Artemis is yet another figure of Chaos besides Garland.

**(**_New_**) -Lil': **Luso's mysterious partner-in-crime. She and Tina seem to have a connection. More information about Lil' soon to come.

**(**_New_**) –Daiswai, the Scholar: **A mysterious Nu Mou scholar who has been researching on the War of the gods and the Cycle of War for a while. So far, little is known about Daiswai, except the fact that his name has been used once as bait to lure the Warriors of Light into a trap by Emperor Palamecia. He's currently been held by the Dark Emperor Artemis.

(_Guest Star_)-**Axel Joedo**: Carefree, kind-hearted and always breaks the fourth wall, Axel is a multi-weapon specialist, summoned by Cosmos to help the Heroes of Light defeat Chaos. Axel also appears in the fanfic _Kingdom Hearts III Online HD._

(_Guest Star_)-**Matt Salazar**: Dark and prickly, Matt is a swordsmaster sent with a mind-conflicting decision on whether he should assist or take down the heroes. Matt also appears in the fanfic _Kingdom Hearts III Online HD._

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**Information about the Original Characters**

Pretty much what I need is their name, their class, their gender, personality, appearance and short life story. Pictures of the possible OCs are most welcome :)

OC must and MUST only be a Final Fantasy type of character. OCs coming from other Final Fantasy fanfics will count. But OCs coming from other fanfics not related to Final Fantasy (even _Kingdom Hearts,_ though it is kinda related) will not count as they are unique to these fanfics. If I decide otherwise, they will show up as guest stars only. Please remember that. :)

-Name: **Tina and Chocolate  
**_EpicNetworks_

Age: 16

Gender: Female and Male

Appearance: About 5'6'', brunette with highlights, looks very young (kinda has that babyface look), wears a white tank top with tights sweatpants with red pattern (think of it as a white-mage like jumpsuit), a long transparent scarf attached to her tank top, and carries a staff with a blue stone on top of it.

Chocolate was as large as a horse and its feathers were colored dark-chocolate and charcoal on the head part

Personality: Cheerful, hyperactive, and sometimes a bit stubborn. Her pet Chocolate has that same personality also, except that it tends to panic under pressure.

Short Life Story: Tina and Chocolate have been traveling across the Final Fantasy for a long time, crossing towns and cities, and going through rifts of time and space to discover new worlds. Tina has been the young apprentice of Matoya since she was only a toddler, and she was called back to meet her mentor after the latter informed her of the Four Warriors of Light's arrival. Tina has ever since been given the chance by Matoya be the young guys' mentor at magic. But is she levelheaded enough to look after four guys along with her parrot-talking Black Chocobo Chocolate, who always panics under pressure no matter what?

xXx

-Name: **Aria, the White Mage  
**_HorrorGurlOxO_

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Appearance: She has long wavy brown hair with bright blue eyes and olive skin.  
Standing at about 5'5", she has a petite sort of figure and isn't afraid to  
fight...although she's small in size.

Personality: Smart, Caring, Strong-willed, Stubborn, Protective

Weapons: Masamune, Sage's Staff

Specialty: White Magic, Healing, Sword Battle

Armor: Luminous Robe (although she rarely ever pulls her hood up)

Short Life Story: Aria has lived a long life in her home, with her lovely  
parents and estranged brother. But, when her own father and brother go Dark  
Mage and help Chaos and his Villains of Darkness in this evil war. And they  
took her mother, who was going to try and stop them, into hostage. Aria,  
desperate for adventure and to save the lives of her loved ones, left her home  
and is now in search of the legendary Four Warriors of Light, so that she can  
try and get their help into saving her family. Her father, mother and brother are respectively called Lucius, Marcella, and Fathom.

xXx

-Name: **Fate**, **the Red Mage  
**_Echo the Ethereal Swordsmaster_

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Appearance: (her appearance looks very similar to this character: http : / /  
i6 . photobucket . com / albums / y202 / Sarilia / archerko . jpg (- remove  
spaces)) She was a pale young woman around nineteen with crimson red eyes and  
long snow white hair pulled back into a braided ponytail that was bound with a  
black ribbon at the bottom of the braid near her calves. Dressed in a black  
turtle neck style shirt and a black skirt over which she wore a crimson red  
mini-jacket that covered both of her arms, a matching red duster that hung  
from her waist to hide her pale thighs while a pair of black knee-high  
stockings and black sneakers covered her legs.

Personality: Cocky, Lazy, sometimes cold (depends on her situation), Kind,  
Playful, Gentle, Forgiving, sometimes acts like a stubborn kid

Weapons: Dual Swords

Specialty: Red Magic, Sword fight

Short History: Fate came from a well known Hume race family who are all  
experties of Red Magic, (magic that involve casting both White Magic and Black  
Magic), and sword fight. Until there was a disaster, that her home village  
taken over and her family and the villagers are taken prisoners by Chaos,  
leading Fate the only one who manage to escape. Hoping to set her family and  
her home to be free, she went on a journey to find Cosmos and the 4 legendary  
warriors of light.

xXx

-Name: **Valerie, the Black Mage  
**_Rhodes's_

Age: 13

Gender: Female

Appearance: Short flat black hair, bright green eyes, about 5'3'' and about  
111lb. Wears a dark blue mini dress with black tight jeans, snow boots, shiny  
scarf made of a flat fabric, and a large brown sun hat that hides her bashful  
face.

Personality: Shy, kind, gentle, tend to be super-sensitive drama queen, easily  
scared and clumsy at magic.

Short history: Originally from Mysidia, Valerie once had a beautiful carefree  
life with her family full of black mages. But when Mysidia was consumed by the  
fires of Chaos, it left Valerie the sole survivor of the tragedy and the only  
one hoping to find her father, who was not home at that time. Fearing that  
Chaos might have her father, she travels across the Final Fantasy world to  
seek help from the heroes of Light and the 4 Warriors of Light.

xXx

-Name: **Reina, the Gunner  
**_JamesMaslowGal_

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Appearance: She displays bright ocean blue eyes with long wavy red velvet hair that flows down her pale lighted skin. Sporting a few holsters on her hips, she wears a  
violet laced short sleeved top with a matching flowing skirt that accompanies  
her long leather jacket. She also keeps some chains coursed on her guns and  
around her body, to ensure that no one tries to steal them.

Personality: Quiet, Strong-willed, Bold, Selfless, Innocent

Bio: As a Gunner and a rebel, Reina has lived most of her life on the road  
with no family and hardly anybody to turn to. When the prophecy starts to take  
action and she meets the legendary Four Warriors of Light, she figures that  
there is nothing else going for her. So why not help out the side of good for  
a little while? She carries three guns: a Fomalhaut, a Peacemaker, and a Outsider.

xXx

-Name:** Jack, the Dark Knight**  
_HetaliaLuver_

Age: 15

Gender: Male

Appearance: http: / / i27 .tinypic .com/9h5a1i .jpg. (Like in the picture: has red hair, piercing green eyes, wears a opened dark-green jacket with the collars popped to reveal his slim muscular chest, dark skinny jeans and boots similar to Squall Leonhart. Wears a metal necklace with a gold cylinder shape in front.)

Personality: Sarcastic, Funny, Adventurous, Selfish

Short Life Story: Jack knows that he can be a jerk at times, and he also knows he can be hell-of-a hero too. But, with his dark past, he makes sure that he hids his emotions with his funny, go-getting personality. He only decides to help the Four Warriors of Light because it seemed that a lot of hot girls were joining them… but he had a feeling he'd turn dark side soon enough.

xXx

-Name: **Ryuji and Shiki  
**_Ryuji_

Age: 27

Gender: Male and Female

Appearance: exactly similar to Lancer from FSN (link= http : / / images4 .  
wikia . nocookie . net / _ cb20100515231033 / typemoon / images / 0 / 06 /  
Cuchullain . png), but added with full Black and Blue Dragoon Armor and Helm.  
Sometimes he remove his helm when he's not in battle, revealing his long  
spiked up blue hair, tied in a ponytail and crimson red eyes. He's also 185 cm  
tall. Shiki is a female blue and white colored wyvern, who is also Ryuji's  
loyal companion. She is about 400 ft, only when it comes to flight or battle.  
When not in battle, she can shrink into a 12 inch "miniature/(adorable) baby  
dragon" that is always perched on top of Ryuji's left shoulder.

Personality: He is loyal, easy-going, and a Man of his words who enjoys a good  
fight. Ryuji is a fierce, but balanced warrior who enjoys combating worthy  
opponents. He has a playful attitude and takes a very carefree approach to  
life, but is quick to work himself into a frenzy during a heated battle. He  
can be a bit of a ladies' man (and sometimes a pervert), and he is shown to  
get a great deal of amusement from teasing (and flirting with) girls he finds  
interesting. He and Shiki enjoy fighting, traveling, and meals (even if  
they're badly cooked). Shiki (miniature) is sometimes a shy dragon when it  
comes to meeting new people, but later gets over her shyness and gets along  
with others. But in battle, Shiki (true form) is very determined and dangerous  
that she'll destroy enemies to protect her master, Ryuji, and his friends.

Weapon: black and silver Polearms/spears

Skills:

-Ryuji: Uses of spears, spears' piercing damage, agility, accuracy on melee  
combat, jump ability, throwing spear from long range, damage dealing attack

-Shiki: (similar to the Wyverns' skills from FF11) Offense: breathe out Fire,  
Ice, Wind, Water, Lightning, or Sand; Defense/Support: Breathe out a Healing  
breath, that can heal allies

Short Life Story: Ryuji came from a clan of Dragoons of Vana'diel (FF11), his  
home world. Later, he left his home with his loyal pet wyvern, Shiki, to  
travel many different kinds of worlds to start a new life to enjoy. So far,  
Ryuji and Shiki have been to was Vana'diel, Ivalice (FF12, FFT) and Hydaelyn  
(FF14). He then heard news that his home world was under attack by Chaos'  
warrior, and that Shiki's wyvern race are near to extinction because of Chaos.  
So, he and Shiki swore vengeance on Chaos for attack his home and Shiki's  
species. So he travels to find a way to free his home, which results to him  
and Shiki joining with the Four Warriors of Light.

xXx

-Name:** Emperor ****Artemis  
**_Mace the Manakete_

Age: Unknown

Gender: Male

Weapon(s): Carries a heavy lance. He can do Black, White, Green, and Arcane Magick; and can also Summon and use Dragoon abilities. Also uses Vanish on himself, turning into a ghost.

Appearance: Long wavy red hair, piercing crimson eyes, scruffy-looking, wears a red tunic that reaches down his ankles, a golden sashes attached to the shoulders, and slim pants and boots to match, and an open collar cloak over the tunic with gold streak on the colon edges.

Personality: Violent, cold, ruthless, finds the joy of torturing even his own people.

Short Life Story: A cold and ruthless man who once ruled the Garlean Empire with an iron fist and a thirst for pleasurable executions until his assassination, all leading up to the events of Final Fantasy XIV. Artemis was appointed by Chaos to not only rule the Garlean Empire again as a Dark Emperor, but to take control of any other empires as his, commanding evil armies and underworldly creatures in the effort to take down the Warriors of Light. Rumor has it; Artemis is yet another figure of Chaos besides Garland, and he came into existence when Chaos split up into Desperado Chaos. So D. Chaos and Artemis are one and the same. Artemis sometimes cohort with the Villains of Darkness.

xXx

(**New) **-Name:** Lil'****  
**_EpicNetworks_

Age: Unknown

Gender: Female

Weapon(s): ?

Appearance: About 5'6'', blond hair with red highlights, looks very young (same babyface look as Tina), wears a red spellblade outfit with fluffy white collar, matching red trousers, and white high heels.

Personality: ?

Short Life Story: -Luso's mysterious partner-in-crime. She and Tina seem to have a connection. More information about Lil' soon to come.

xXx

(**New**)-Name:** Daiswai****  
**_EpicNetworks_

Age: Unknown

Gender: Male

Weapon(s): Tome

Appearance: About 4 feet or so, Wears an azure scholar outfit with high pointy collar sticking out from his back and gold edges. He's of the Nu Mou class. Looks like one of the Nu Mou scholar from FFTacticsA2.

Personality: Quiet, reserved, very serious about his research of studies.

Short Life Story: -A mysterious Nu Mou scholar who has been researching on the War of the gods and the Cycle of War for a while. So far, little is known about Daiswai, except the fact that his name has been used once as bait to lure the Warriors of Light into a trap by Emperor Palamecia. He's currently been held by the Dark Emperor Artemis.

xXx

**(**_Guest_**)** -Name:**Axel Joedo**  
_Vastler75_

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Class: Multi-weapon

Appearance: The same with his Sharx apparance in _KH3:OHD_

Personality: same as in _KH3:OHD_ (carefree, Kind-hearted, 4th wall breaker)

Short Life Story: Axel is one of the main characters from the fanfic _Kingdom Hearts III Online HD._

In the story_, _he appears as a human who takes the form of his_Kingdom Hearts III Online HD_ character Sharx, helping his fellow _Kingdom Hearts _heroes defeat an evil organization. In this story, he appears as a Final Fantasy guest star character in Sharx Form, summoned by Cosmos to aid the Heroes of Light. He was given new power similar to Noctis from FF-Vs-13, able to summon multiple weapons via  
Telekinesis which includes Sword, Axe, Guns, Spear... but his primary weapon is a red-Bladed Katana sword with the Katakana "Kami Tsubasa" engraved on the  
Handle (a reference to his crush Kami from the KH story.)

xXx

**(**_Guest_**)** -Name:**Matt Salazar  
**_Beauty and the Freak_

Age: 18

Gender: Male

Weapon(s): A sword similar to Masamune except the hilt is double the usual  
length and is white. An alternative weapon is a staff with blades on both  
ends, a red ribbon on each end.

Appearance: The same as Cross' appearance in KHIII: OHD but it seems to be  
torn slightly as if he had just finished a battle.

Personality: Pretty much the same as both Matt/Cross except he seems more  
distant and is slightly stronger than before.

Short Life Story: Matt is one of the main characters from the fanfic _Kingdom Hearts III Online HD._

In the story, he appears as a human who takes the form of his Kingdom Hearts III Online HD character Cross, helping his fellow Kingdom Hearts heroes defeat an evil organization.

In this story, he appears as a Final Fantasy swordsmaster, in a similar situation like Axel, but is debatable on whether he is there to assist the heroes or to take them down. It's currently unknown who actually sent him but when questioned about it, he doesn't  
answer.

xXx


	2. Prologus: This is our Final Fantasy

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Prologus: This is our Final Fantasy**-

* * *

**_

* * *

_The world lies shrouded in darkness_

_The winds die…_

_The seas rage…_

_The earth decays…_

_But the people believe in a prophecy, patiently awaiting its fulfillment._

_"When darkness veils the world, Four Warriors of Light shall come"_

_After a long journey, four young travelers did at last appear…_

_…and in the hand of each was clutched a crystal._

_~Lukhan's Prophecy~_

xXx

"WHOOOAAAAAHHH!"

Screams were heard from a distant. Out falling from the sky, like shooting stars were four young men: popular boy band Big Time Rush!

They landed hard on the grassy fields.

"Ow… man! Never thought we'd fell fifty feet from the sky only to land on a soft cushion without a scratch!" Carlos Garcia, the first one in the group with the fun-loving and cheerful personality said enthusiastically, "And speaking of cushion, this is _really_ soft!"

"Carlos. That cushion is my BUTT!" James Diamond, the second one in the group with a pretty boy look and sometimes a narcissist personality, barked at his best friend.

Carlos noticed he did land on James. And Kendall and Logan too. He quickly got off them, "Woops! Sorry!" he grinned.

The four guys finally got on their feet and looked around the vast plains.

"Where are we?" Logan Mitchell, the third one in the group, the smartest one with kind of a paranoid personality, wondered.

"I think we're dreaming…" Kendall Knight, the last one and possibly the leader of the group with a charismatic and scheming personality, wondered, "I'll say a very vivid dream."

"Dude, get real!" James said, "If it was a dream, would I be able to do this?"

James pinched Logan on cue. Logan jumped back, "OW! HEY!"

"See?"

Carlos then pinched James. James jumped back, "OW! HEY! What was that for?"

"I thought we were playing a game!" Carlos chuckled.

"Guys, can we please focus?" Kendall said, "We apparently are dreaming, or we're not in Hollywood anymore…" He said pointing out at the empty meadows with few trees in the background surrounding them. There was no one else in sight. He gulped. "…or in Minnesota."

"Well, on the bright side, we don't have to do our history report from school!" Carlos shrugged.

"No school?" Logan panicked, "But we have to go to school! 'Cuz If we don't, our music career at Rocque Records will be over!"

"AAHH!" James screamed, "But I don't want my music career to be over!"

"Yeah!" Logan agreed, "And then we won't be able to graduate and get into an Ivy League school and be a doctor!" He then grabbed Kendall by the shirt and shook him silly, "Do you have any idea how _HARD _it is to get into an Ivy League school and be a DOCTOR?"

"Dude! Calm down!" Kendall pulled Logan off him, "We won't stay here that long. Trust me."

The teens suddenly heard creepy laughter at their every corner. They then saw a bunch of goblins coming out of the trees and surrounding them with their knives and lances pointing.

"…and apparently these freakish creatures don't think so." Kendall said, glaring at the armed goblins army.

"Goblins…" Logan gulped, already recognizing the creatures.

"I say let's make a run for it." Carlos proposed. The guys shook their heads, but he started taking off anyway.

"Carlos, don't!" The guys screamed, but it was too late. The goblin army overpowered the boys and soon they found themselves caged up high among the tallest of trees.

"Nice job Carlos." James grumbled at his friend, "If you weren't so stubborn we would have fled."

"Well, if you hadn't picked up that strange book, we wouldn't be here!" Carlos countered.

"Touché"

"Warriors of Light! You shall soon meet your ends!" A cackling noise caught the guys' attention. They looked down below. It was the goblins again.

"Warriors of Light?" the guys said, confused.

One goblin looked at the other and said, "You will nava get da frissess! Nava for y'all meecha end!"

"Okay, goblins… or whatever you are…." James spoke calmly, "Can I make one suggestion to you?" he then barked, "SPEAK ENGLISH!"

The Goblins shot rains of arrows and lances at them. The guys freaked out. The goblins laughed on cue.

"Don't upset them!" Logan panicked.

"Man, we gotta get outta here fast!" cried Carlos.

"But how?" Kendall exclaimed. "This cage is way too strong to break!"

"We can break it together!" James proposed, "It worth the try!"

The guys tackled on the cage twice, BAM! BAM! They tried to tackle it again when the cage when out of the blue a blinding crescent-shape flash of light cut through the rope that was holding on the cage and the cage went down toward the goblins. The guys fell onto the ground, breaking their prison into pieces. The goblins panicked.

"Uh! That was easy." Logan said.

"We're free!" Carlos cheered up.

"And you're NOT!" A goblin yelped as his army cornered the guys. "CHAAARGE!"

"Stop!" The guys raised their hands toward the goblins as if trying to stop them, when suddenly a massive ball of light shot off from Logan's hands and struck a goblin, combusting him into crisp.

The goblins turned to face their defeated, charred comrade, then turned to face Logan. The other boys turned to Logan, surprised also. Logan stared at his hands, shocked at what he just did.

"Did you…?" Carlos gasped.

"…just…" James muttered.

"…used magic?" Kendall blinked.

"W-W-Wi-Wi-Wiiiiitch!" the goblins screamed.

"Wait, it's not what you think!" Logan tried to explain himself, but the goblins took off running and screaming for their lives. "WIIIITCH! HE BREATHED WITCHCRAFT ON US! GET OUTTA HEEEEERRE!"

The goblins were gone, leaving the four boys speechless.

"Well, that went well." Kendall said.

All four boys gathered around Logan. "So, seriously! How did you do that?" Carlos exclaimed.

"You did magic, didn't you?" James asked.

"Well… I… I… I think so." Logan stammered, "I mean, I think I did…"

_Just as I predicted._

All heads turned to the source of the voice. There was an old wise man, brimming in a mighty light, standing a couple of feet from the boys near a small town entrance.

"Who are you?" the boys asked.

_As Darkness veils the world, four Warriors of Light shall come._

"Err, actually, we're Big Time Rush." James said, correcting the old wise man in light.

"We're four hockey players in a boy band." Kendall said.

"Yeah, not Four Warriors of Light." Logan said.

_That's what you think…_

"Seriously, who are you?" Carlos asked.

_Follow my divine prophecy and your destiny odyssey shall give you the answer._

The old wise man in light vanished before the boys could reach him.

"He's gone." Kendall blinked.

"Just like that…" Carlos gulped, ready to freak out.

"People don't just disappear like that in the real world!" James exclaimed, already freaked out.

"But see, that's the thing: we're not in the real world!" Logan exclaimed, "People don't disappear like that and I don't do magic!"

"…where are we?" Kendall asked.

xXx

**-Cornelia-**

The guys entered Cornelia, surprised by the change in scenery.

"Okay. This is so not Minnesota." Logan confirmed.

"This is another place altogether." James added.

"Hey Logan, maybe you can use magic to take us back to Minnesota!" Carlos proposed.

"I wish I knew how to do that." Logan replied, "But I can't! And besides, People get persecuted for exposing magic in public. It is written in our history books." He then angrily faced James, "Which we would have studied if we didn't end up stuck in this world!"

"Hey, I'm not the one who propose we sign our names Big Time Rush in the book!" James argued.

"But you're the one who brought the book." Carlos added.

James suddenly felt guilty, "yeah, but…" he then snapped at Carlos, "…you're the one who proposed we sign our names in the book!"

"Guys!" Kendall stopped them, having a lightbulb over his head, "Maybe we need to find that book. It might help us figure out where we are and find our way back home to Hollywood before everyone discovers we're missing."

"Right." the guys agreed.

Kendall looked around and spotted a couple of guards talking to each other, "We should ask these guys. They looked authoritative and friendly."

The guys approached the guards, "Excuse me."

The guards turned to face them.

"Hi. We're kinda lost…" Logan said.

"…we're Big Time Rush." James interrupted, "We're kinda popular. I'm sure you know."

The guards suddenly dropped their lances once they saw the guys. "Oh my god…!"

The guys lit up.

"So you know us?" Kendall asked, "Oh thank goodness! We're—!"

"The prophesized Warriors of Light!" the guards exclaimed, "You're really ARE them!"

"Huh?" the guys raised eyebrows.

"Those Crystals!" the second guard pointed at the guys. They noticed something around their neck: crystal necklaces! They were puzzled. "What the…?" Carlos breathed.

The guards' excitement suddenly caught the townspeople's attention, and before the guys' knew it there was a commotion, as if celebrities just walked an empty street that quickly blossomed with people. They were chanting, "Warriors of Light… they have come… glory to the goddess of Harmony… glory and honor…"

"Wait… Warriors of Light?" Kendall exclaimed.

"But we're not…!" James tried to speak but the guard cheerfully interrupted, "You must see the King at once!" he dragged the guys out of the streets and into the castle's entryway.

"Welcome young travelers."

The guys turned their attention to the King of Cornelia. They were surprised by who they saw on the king's seat.

"GUSTAVO?" the guys exclaimed.

"Please, call me King Cornelia." the King replied with wisdom. "I heard that you carry Crystals."

"Yeah, I guess…" Kendall toyed with the crystal he carried before showing it to the king, "this is it?"

The guys showed their Crystals as well. Kendall had the Earth Crystal, James had the Water Crystal, Carlos had the Fire Crystal, and Logan had the Wind Crystal.

"It's just as Lukahn's Prophecy foretold: 'When darkness veils the world, four Warriors of Light shall come'."

"Yeah…what are these Warriors of Light again?" asked Logan.

"You are."

"Your Majesty," the Chancellor, a young lady very familiar to BTR, approached the King.

"Kelly?" they gasped.

"We cannot be certain that these are the warriors foretold by the prophecy." The Chancellor said to the King, "They're too young!"

"Yet they stand before us with the Crystals. I cannot dismiss this as mere coincidence." The King said, before facing BTR, "Will you not rescue my daughter, Sarah?"

"Yes." James quickly said, but Kendall elbowed him to keep quiet.

The Chancellor added, "Garland, a knight once in His Majesty's service, has abducted Princess Sarah. I ask for your aid in the name of His Majesty, the king of Cornelia. Though I'm not certain if you're really up to the task."

"We're not up to it." Logan quickly said; only to be elbowed by Carlos.

"Garland has taken refuge in the Chaos Shrine, which lies to our north." The Chancellor said.

"Weren't you able to get your knights to stop Garland?" Kendall asked.

"Of course we did attempt to rescue the princess ourselves…" the Chancellor replied, "But Garland is one of the finest swordsmen in the kingdom with inexhaustible strength that could run an army. We have none who can match him."

The guys huddled up together to talk. "What do you think?" Kendall said, "We're up for the task?"

"We just got here." Logan argued, "And frankly, a knight who can run down an army is so not the type of guy we should be assigned, the four of us, to mess with!"

"We could take up the offer." Carlos said.

"Wha—Carlos?" the guys hissed.

Carlos shrugged, "What? We gotta rescue a princess in trouble! And besides, we could be rewarded, like I don't know, with a way back home?"

"Ah, so you wish to journey back into your origins?" the King said, catching their attention. It was as if he could hear everything they were saying. "My humble apologies for eavesdropping; but we could hear you very loud and very clear from up here."

The guys chuckled nervously.

"But I implore you, if you can rescue Sarah, I will have the kingdom provide you with a myrthil-powered airship for your safe travels back to your origins, as a sign of my gratitude."

"Told you." Carlos snapped back at the guys.

"We'll do it." Kendall said, "We'll rescue your daughter. Garland will never know what hit him."

"We will?" James and Logan exclaimed.

"Thank you." The King said, "You may go now, Warriors of Light, and do not fail me."

xXx

Back at the Castle Town,

"This Cornelia king is nothing like Gustavo." Kendall said, "He's actually kinda… nice!"

"Four Warriors battling monsters… now that's my kind of adventure!" Carlos said excitedly.

"And like all kind of adventure, we need to suit up and be prepared with supplies, clothings, and weapons." Logan said.

"Weapons?" Kendall blinked.

Logan nodded, "Yeah. Obviously a place like this is very similar to the one in Medieval times. And back then people always carried swords around for protection."

"Well, I guess it's time to go shopping!" James declared and the guys took off.

The shopping experience was stranger than expected. First the guys got clothes, and some tried to pay with their dollar cash or credit card from their wallets. But the vendors would always point them the sign that says, "Gil Only. Go to Pub to make money"

So they went to get gil at the pub. They did the type of job they never thought they would've done back home as a popular pop band: hunting poisonous malboros for their vines? Packet delivery from across town, with a Chocobo-pulling carriage that is as slow as a 1990 buggie? Cleaning airship with toothbrush? And speaking of Chocobo, they had to clean up AFTER them, and one of them bit Carlos who tried to pet him. They were horrible jobs but they managed to pool at least 1800 Gil.

They quickly went back for their shopping experience. They bought not so fancy cotton vests and trousers and not so sturdy gauntlets and flat boots. Boy did they miss their suite celebrity lives, especially James, who was twice as frustrated and was literally whining.

Then came the weapons and armors like swords and shields. Kendall got a rapier. James got a rapier AND a shield. Carlos couldn't decide between the Nunchunks or the bamboo fighting stick. They were both so cool. But then when he saw a whole line of helms, his eyes glowed and went for them to try them all on. Logan couldn't handle the swords well, but then his eyes caught a small ruby staff and he dumped the sword. The staff reacted to his touch, as if it wanted to be with him. Logan smiled. Finally they went to the vendor to check out the items they wanted with the price they could afford. The vendor counted the payment but shook his head. He pulled out a sign that says "The items are all 2000 Gil. You're 1000 short." the guys groaned frustrated.

Finally, after what felt like eight hours of working and shopping, nighttime fell and the exhausted guys were all done.

"Phew. I have never shopped that much since our Last Minute Christmas shopping back in LA." James reminisced.

"Crazy times." Carlos remembered.

"Now, where are we gonna find a bus at this hour?" Kendall wondered.

"A bus?" the guys laughed.

"Kendall. Look around. Where are we gonna see an actual bus on this place?" Logan asked.

"Oh. True that." Kendall mumbled.

"But we gotta rescue Gustav..." James hesitated, "Err, King Cornelia's daughter somewhere in this place. But where?"

"You kids tryin' to find Chaos Shrine?" a voice caught their attention. It was an enigmatic old man wearing his face down with the hood of his red cloak. He was riding on a heavy carriage, fit for a traveling merchant.

"Uhh... Yeah?" the guys answered.

"Hop in." the hooded man said, "you may put your items with my merchandises."

"THANK YOU MAN!" they cheered, dumped their stuffs with the merchandises and hopped into the carriage. The enigmatic figure lightly kicked his horse and with a neigh sound the carriage was off.

xXx

**Sanctuary of Order**

A puddle of white, crystal-like water that seemed to expand over distances, with lots of rail beams surrounding the place. It was there that sat in the middle of a moon-shaped structure an elegant lady with blonde hair the brilliance of gold, and donning a robe of white the elegance of diamonds. And surrounding her were ten warriors, adorning various outfits like knight outfits, or gen-x outfits. They were the ten Heroes of Light: Tidus, Zidane Tribal, Squall Leonhart, Cloud Strife, Terra Branford, Bartz Klauser, Cecil Harvey, Onion Knight, Firion, and the Warrior of Light Arus.

"Are we in Heaven or something?" Zidane sounded worried, "Are we dead?"

"No, you are not dead, Zidane Tribal." The woman in white called him, before facing the newcomers, "And neither are you, Cloud Strife, Squall Leonhart, and Tidus." She said to the three who also looked worried.

"Then what's going on?" Cloud said before Squall asked her sternly, "You told us you would tell us everything once you've summoned all ten of us. We are all here now, so spill it."

"Squall." The Warrior of Light said to him sternly, "You are speaking to the goddess of Harmony, Cosmos. Show her respect."

"What?" Squall said and so did everyone else who was shocked by the revelation. The Warrior of Light knelt before the goddess and everyone else reacted the same way he did. "Please forgive him on my behalf, my Goddess." He said, "I should have let them know in advance that we were standing before you."

"You are not to blame." Cosmos replied with a warm smile before looking at every one of the Heroes she had summoned, peering into their guilty hearts, "No one is to blame."

"Cosmos!" Bartz quickly stood up, shaky, "You know I've been a good boy, right? I've been taking good care of Boko, I've defeated evil, I've helped out citizens, including the senior ones…" he stammered, "Please don't judge me yet! Don't send me to Hell!"

"Wait a minute!" Tidus now began to panic, "Is that why you summoned us? To judge us?"

Cosmos tried to speak but then everyone started panicking again, speculating their fates.

"Cosmos did not call upon us for judgment." Warrior of Light reassured.

Everyone turned back to face the goddess questionably.

"What I am about to tell you could shock you," she began, "It could very well affect the future of my very existence."

Everyone's heart just jumped when she said that last line. What would a world be without Cosmos? They couldn't imagine it.

"You were not just summoned here." she began, "You were brought back to life. And so was I."

They all looked at each other, stunned. "Brought back to life?" Onion Knight said, "What do you mean?"

Cosmos went on, "All ten of you, and many more before you, were involved in an endless war between Chaos and I: the War of the gods, an endless cycle of battle that has been going on for centuries. Chaos won the previous cycle of battle and I have lost. I was brought back to life with sad memories of these bloody times, but you however do not remember anything. It has been that way for the past thirteen wars."

That last sentence shocked the heroes. They have been in thirteen wars before and they had no memories of them? But Cosmos wasn't done here, "We have now entered the 14th cycle of battle. And possibly the final one."

She waved her hand over the crystal water under her feet to reveal the image of the carriage carrying Big Time Rush to the Chaos Shrine. The Heroes moved away from the water they were standing on to get a clear picture of the four guys.

"Lukahn's Prophecy." Cosmos went on, "It is said that Four Warriors of Light will come together to stop this endless cycle of death and rebirth, by joining this war. These young souls: Kendall Knight, James Diamond, Carlos Garcia, and Logan Mitchell, are such warriors told by the Prophecy."

"The Four Warriors of Light from the Prophecy?" Firion repeated, "Here?"

"At long last." Terra said with a sigh of relief.

"This could mean the end of all of us." Cecil said, "Good or evil."

"Yes." Cosmos said, "And so I have summoned you here, all ten of you, for you are to join force with these warriors and help them on their journey, to defeat Chaos and his Villains of Darkness. They must not join the dark side. This battle must end in our favor, in any way possible."

"I have met them. Briefly." The Warrior of Light said, reminiscing, "I pulled them off from the cage they were in when the goblins captured them."

"And you just walked away?" Tidus said, surprised.

"It was not my time to reveal to them their destinies." The Warrior of Light revealed, "They are not ready yet. But very soon they will. But right now," he stared back at the picture, "they will encounter Garland."

xXx

"We've arrived." The enigmatic man breathed hoarsely. The guys got off the carriage to stare at the massive Chaos Shrine in front of them. It was old, ruined up, dark inside with no electricity and unfit to rest at night because it may be filled up with ghosts. Just the thought of that gave the guys chills down their spines.

"Are you sure this is the Shrine?" Carlos asked.

No response from the old man. The guys turned around and he was gone. Even his carriage.

"We didn't even hear him leave…" Logan shuddered.

"I'm scared…" James trembled.

"Come on guys, it's not that scary." Kendall tried to reason, but just the look of the shrine itself was enough to break his confidence, "…maybe a little bit scary…"

"But this is where the Princess is being held." Logan said, "If we go in, take her, and get out… It'll be like it never happened. Trust me."

Finally they entered the shrine. They found themselves in a very large central room lined with destructible pillars dominated by a ramp leading to a throne against a wall. Portraits of the Four Elemental Fiends were spotted in every corner of the room: Lich, Marilith, Kraken, and Tiamat. The guys stared around the room nervously.

"Okay, don't trust me." Logan changed his mind.

"What's that at the throne?" James spotted someone. The guys looked. It was a knight by the throne, staring at something at his feet, unaware of their presence.

"Looks like a knight." Kendall said.

"Garland?" Carlos said.

"The King will have no choice but to exchange the kingdom for his daughter's life." Garland chuckled, "Cornelia will be mine!"

The guys noticed a pretty girl by the knight's feet. Possibly the princess. But she too looked VERY familiar, especially to Kendall who called her by another name. "Jo?"

That caught Garland's attention.

"Who's there?"

"AAAHHH!" the guys jumped. Garland stared back at the guys. The guys nervously stared back at Garland. His silver horned mask and bright yellow eyes were really creepy. His sword was huge and so was he. Just Garland's appearance put the guys at a difficult position.

"G…Garland, right?" Kendall asked.

Garland grunted, "Hmph. The king's lapdogs."

"Lapdogs?" James snapped, "Do you have any idea who we are? We're Big Time Rush! We're hot and awesome!"

"Yeah, what he said." Carlos said proudly and Logan and Kendall nodded in agreement.

"Do you have any idea who you're messing with?" Garland was heard laughing.

"Yeah, we've heard you ran down an army…" Logan said. "So maybe if you could please not run us down and give us the girl back to us gently, we'll leave you alone."

"…yeah, what he said." Carlos said nervously.

"_Vroom!_" Garland swung his sword which came out as chain and destroyed all the pillars around him, scaring the guys. Garland then stabbed the sword on the ground, laughing, "You _really_ think you can cross swords with me? I've predicted your arrival; I've seen your strengths, I know everything about you…"

"R-really?" James smiled, almost relieved. But Garland wasn't finished with his threat. "I, Garland, will knock you all DOWN!" he charged toward the guys, surprising them.

"AAAAAHHHH!"

Garland delivered his Round Edge attack, mercilessly sending flurry of swordslashes at his opponents before sending them flying into the air, crashing through the ceiling to the upper level of the Shrine. He then gave chase.

"I'LL CRUSH YOU!"

He threw another swing again, sending the guys apart through nearby pillars, crumbling them. Garland landed on the ground.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed as he approached the crumbled pillars where the guys landed into. "Pathetic. To cross the god of discord is like playing with fire. It's now time for you to learn your place."

Garland quickly noticed the guys were nowhere to be found. "What?"

He looked around, "Where are they?"

"WAAAAZAAAHHHH!" Garland heard a scream. He turned around and got surprised by Carlos, who had jumped on his back and covered his eyes. "GRAAWWL!" Garland struggled, trying to break free from Carlos's clutches. "GET... OFFA ME... YOU WORM!"

Garland grabbed Carlos by his shirt and tossed him off. Carlos landed on his feet, pulled out his Shuriken and started throwing a flurry of them at Garland, but Garland easily blocked them all with his sword.

"Now Logan!" Carlos called on his friend, "Use your magic!"

"What?" Garland turned around and saw Logan shooting a stream of Fire Magic from his fingers at him, striking the knight hard to a pillar. The pillar crumbled on Garland into chunks of rock, debris and smokes.

"We did it!" Logan cheered, "Great job Carlos!"

"We both did!" they high-fived each other before Kendall and James joined them.

"You guys okay?" Logan asked Kendall and James.

"I guess so..." Kendall said. "Man, this guy is… is…"

"Freakishly strong?" The guys answered for him.

"Exactly!"

"Guys! Behind you!" James warned.

They turned around and saw Garland charging, "GRAAAWWWL!"

Kendall pulled out his sword and quickly blocked an incoming sword swing from Garland. Garland kept swinging but Kendall kept blocking with his sword.

"I DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE THIS THING!" Kendall panicked, losing momentum.

"HEY!" James dashed toward Garland and landed his Nunchuk on him, but only caused a dent. Garland quickly distracted from Kendall turned to James. "You wanna mess with James Diamond? Huh? You wanna?"

Taunted Garland was about to make his move but Carlos's ninja scream distracted him from James.

"WAAAAZAAAAHHHH!"

Garland turned to see him descend from the sky with his ninja knives. Garland blocked the attack also and pushed his opponent flying.

"Yo, bucket head!"

Garland turned to face Logan who called on him and watched his Fire Magic coming straight at him. Garland quickly raised his sword to block the attack, but Logan concentrated, putting more power of his Fire Magic. Slowly and gradually, Garland's sword started to overheat, and Logan's magic began to overwhelm his brain, giving him a migraine and making him bleed on the forehead. The guys turned frantic, "Logan..."

The Fire Magic overheated Garland's sword then began to overheat his armor. Garland let go off his sword, screaming in pain, letting the Fire Magic strike him hard. Garland went down the large hole back to the bottom level of the shrine, screaming.

Logan went down on one knee, holding on his bleeding head. "Logan!" The guys went to his aid.

"You allright buddy?" James asked.

"...yeah, I'm fine..." Logan said.

"Dude, don't overdo it next time." Kendall said.

"Yeah, you scared the heck outta me." Carlos said.

"...sorry, guys. I guess I was trying to finish this freak." Logan said. "Wait! He went down that hole right?"

The guys quickly went to the hole and peeked in. To their surprise they didn't see Garland.

"He's gone!" Kendall said.

"Nobody could survive a fall like that." James pointed out, "He could be anywhere."

Suddenly Garland's laugh is heard from behind, scaring the guys half to death. Garland had reappeared from behind them.

"I must say that I am very impressed." Garland said, "For a couple of pathetic insects."

"HEY! You're the insect one here!" Carlos shouted, "What's with that horn helmet of yours? Tryin' to be a beetle?"

"Beetles only have one horn." Logan corrected.

"Beetle, shmeetle." Garland said, "It looks like this prophecy is really set on coming true. The Four Warriors of Light, together in the Final Fantasy, ready to stop the endless cycle of battle."

"Again with this Warriors of Light thing." James complained.

"What are you talking about?" Kendall asked Garland, "What prophecy? What endless cycle of battle?"

Garland let out a slight chuckle, "And he did say that they will come unaware of their destiny. Just like that." he looked away, "What a perfect opportunity, to turn this next battle... nah, this final battle of this endless cycle, in favor of Chaos."

"Guys, I don't like this..." Carlos said.

"...how he talks to himself all creepy-like?" Logan asked.

"Yeah, that."

"What are you trying to say, Garland?" James asked Garland, "And you better not attack us again! 'Cuz we can bring you down! ...I guess."

Garland faced the guys again, "Save your weapons, and your questions for later. You've won this round and your beloved Sarah. But next time we meet, you won't be so lucky." He then vanished in a flash.

"...guys." Kendall said, "I have a feeling that we won't be able to go home anytime soon."

"Yeah." the guys said solemnly.

They quickly went to the princess who was slowly waking up.

"Hey, you're okay?" Kendall was first to ask her. The princess looked back at Kendall, then back at the other three.

"You… you've come to rescue me…?"

"Yeah?" the guys responded.

"Oh, I don't know how I can ever thank you…" the princess said with a faint smile.

"No thanks necessary." Logan said.

"We're just happy that you're okay." Carlos said.

"You must be Princess Sarah of Cornelia." James asked.

"Yes." Sarah said, "Yes I am. You must allow me to show my gratitude. Please take me back to Castle Cornelia."

"Back to the Castle!" James said and the guys cheered victory.

xXx

_This is to inform you that this is the final cycle of war. The war to end all wars. The Four Warriors of Light are here at last. And may the last remaining god prevail._

Those were the divine words that Chaos heard from Shinryu as he was watching Big Time Rush and Princess Sarah heading back to Castle Cornelia happily, with burning red glares. He growled under his breath.

_Yes… may the last remaining god prevail._

xXx

Back at Castle Cornelia,

"You've rescued my beautiful daughter Sarah" the King said loudly with tears of joy. He held onto his daughter so close that he couldn't let her go, "There can be no doubt that you ARE the Warriors of Light from Lukahn's prophecy!"

The guys were so proud of their victory; they enjoyed calling each other that.

"You should the prophecy in its entirety." The King said, "Ahem. If I may…"

The guys shook their heads, "No, no, no, please, don't—!"

But it was too late. King Cornelia spoke, "When darkness veils the world, four Warriors of Light shall come. If they cannot gather the shards of light, the darkness will consume all…"

The guys sighed in frustration. The Chancellor approached them. "This can take long. Please follow me."

The guys were outside Castle Cornelia and standing right beside a massive airship. "Whoaa…" they breathed.

"As promised. Here is the airship you've requested to travel beyond continents." The Chancellor said.

They climbed up the ship to admire the ship's sky deck, which included the control center of the ship, the sky saloon which spanned many rooms across and the airship's den, which had the living room part of the ship. Everything on the ship was very fancy.

"This is so cool..." Carlos breathed in awe.

"Too bad we can't go home with it." Logan said.

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"Remember what Garland said." Kendall answered, "About our destinies. I don't know what he was talking about, but it sounds serious."

"And we fell from the sky." Logan added, "Unless this ship is a rocket, to go back up there might prove impossible.

The guys, no longer cheerful, turned glum. Their chance of returning back to LA was very little to none.

"Well," Carlos said, "we should make our stay here in this world as productive as possible."

"Warriors of Light!" came the voice of the princess from the ground, "Please wait just a moment!"

The guys saw the princess and got off the airship to see her. "What's up?" James asked.

"This lute." She began, holding tightly onto the lute she carried, "This lute has been entrusted to the princesses of Cornelia for many generations." She said, "When Garland abducted me, he took this lute as well."

She then stared back at Kendall, and smiled, "I want you to have it. It may aid you on your journey."

Kendall took the lute from Sarah, "Thanks, Princess Sarah."

"You may call me Sarah." The princess said before giving Kendall a kiss on the cheek. "I pray for your safe journeys." She said before taking off back to the castle. Kendall watched her leave, enamored. The guys tried to wake him up back to reality, "Dude. Snap out of it." Logan said.

"You know that's not Jo right?" Carlos said to Kendall.

Kendall sighed, "Yeah… but very soon, I will see Jo again."

"Hopefully sooner." James said.

"To the ship!" Logan said and the guys raced up into the ship.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So, what do you think? Like it or not, or want to see some more chapters? Let me know with a review. Any review will call for a new chapter.


	3. Ep1: Big Time White Mage

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Ep.1: __Big Time White Mage__**-

* * *

**_

* * *

On board the Big Time Airship. The airship rewarded to BTR by King Cornelia, after their bold rescue mission of the Princess Sarah of Cornelia from the eccentric Garland, took the entire Final Fantasy world by storm. Words spread, all over, of these Warriors of Light whose adventure to save the universe was just getting started.

…but right now, they were just chilling at the Airship's Den which they had transformed into a music studio.

_Keep gettin' stuck, stuck, but I'm never givin' up, up  
In the middle of a perfect day  
I'm tripping over words to say_

_'Cause I don't want to keep you guessing  
But I always end up gettin' stuck, stuck  
But I'm never giving…_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Guys!" Logan stopped everyone, "Did you hear that?"

The guys looked puzzled, "Hear what?" Kendall asked. "That was us singing."

"No, no, no. This noise… it's sounds like… creaking."

"I hear it too." Carlos said, hearing the sound as well.

James and Kendall looked around, also hearing the creaking sound. "It's getting louder." James pointed out, "I think it's coming from—!"

Before he could finish, the ceiling crashed in front of the guys and they watched two large bodies plummet to the floor: a white Mage and a Chocobo. The two strangers quickly got up, looking woozy from their fall.

"I'm okay..." the white Mage muttered. She was about 5'6'', brunette with highlights, looked very young (kinda has that babyface look), and wore a white tank top with tights sweatpants with red pattern (think of it as a white-mage like jumpsuit). She had a long transparent scarf attached to her tank top, and carries a staff with a blue stone on top of it.

"Kweh Kwokay..." the Chocobo repeated the Mage. The Chocobo was as large as a horse and its feathers were colored dark-chocolate and charcoal on the head part.

"AHH!" Carlos panicked at the sight of the peculiar Chocobo, "Huge bird!"

"Eep, so you're the four guys of Light," she smiled, "Fancy meeting you all. Or more appropriately, crashing in with you all." she laughed.

"All right. Who are you and what are you doing here on our ship?" Kendall asked the white Mage sternly.

"Oh! Who am I?" the girl said, "Oh, I am so sorry. Where are my manners? I'm Tina, and this is my Chocobo Chocolate. Get it? Chocolate. Because it's a black Chocobo like a piece of chocolate. That's why his name is Chocolate."

The guys shook their heads, still not getting it, "No."

"Kweh!" Chocolate waved 'Hi'. The guys nervously waved back.

"Wow! So you really are the four guys of Light told by the Prophecy. The ones who will defeat Chaos. The ones Matoya assigned me to teach magic!"

"Magic?" they said.

"I was hoping for four weirdo nerds, but you guys are hot!" Tina said.

"Why thank you." James haughtily responded.

"We don't do magic." Kendall said. "At least, us three."

"I only know a few." Logan said.

"Who's Macoya?" Carlos asked.

"Matoya." Tina corrected, "She's my teacher in magic. And I'm her apprentice. Like you'll be my apprentices at magic, since eventually all of you will learn the sacred power from within."

The guys tried to speak but still hyperactive Tina interrupted, "Your destinies are coming true, and we gotta prep you all for the big event! Now, let's go meet Matoya. She's really nice by the way. Ask her a lot of questions and she'll help you. Compliment her Crystal Eye, and whatever you do, DON'T stare at her wart. She's REALLY sensitive about her skin." She then whispered, "She still thinks she's 200 years younger."

The guys looked lost, "What?"

"Off we go!" Tina raised her staff up high and a magical sigil appeared beneath their feet. "Wait!" the guys yelled but too late. The sigil unleashed a powerful light, overwhelming the airship den, and they vanished.

xXx

Tina, Chocolate, and the guys reappeared in Matoya's Cave. The cave reminded the guys of an underground railroad where they used to play hockey there during the winter when they were very young. Except there was no train tracks and the cave was surprisingly warm with the torches all lit up on the walls.

"This place is so familiar." Logan said and the guys agreed, "Yep."

"OW!" the scream of Matoya echoed through the cave, surprising everyone.

"Matoya!" Tina gasped and ran to a room in the cave. The guys followed. Once they got inside the cave they noticed it was well-lighted and furnished. There was a fancy carpet covering most of the floor and every corner was full of jars and pots. There was a bookshelf at the far end wall and an empty cauldron in the middle. But what was even more striking to the guys were the brooms. They were animated and were sweeping back and forth.

"I feel like we're in the Sorcerer's Apprentice or something." Carlos said.

"Yep." The guys agreed.

"OW!" Matoya screamed again. Tina and the guys watched an old woman, probably in her late 90s, limping on her toes. Her eyes were closed, as if she couldn't see.

"Matoya!" Tina ran to her teacher to help her. The guys helped also. "Matoya! What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" she yelled. She had an African-American accent, "What's WRONG? Child, I can't find my Crystal Eye! My Crystal Eye!"

Tina shook her head with a smirk on her face, "Did you lose them again?"

"I DIDN'T LOSE 'EM!" Matoya quickly snapped. She quickly sensed Tina's silence and got a bit nervous, "They couldn't fit the eyeholes!" she said.

"Yeesh…" the guys quickly backed away. Just hearing the eyehole part brought chills down their spines.

"I see you brought the boys here." Matoya said, sensing the guys' presence and uneasiness.

"Yeah." Tina said before stifling, "Too bad you cannot actually _see _them." She burst out laughing. The guys laughed out loud as well. Matoya angrily grabbed a broom and smacked Tina's head with it, "OW!"

"Hey, sorry we came at a bad time." Kendall said.

"Yeah, with you losing your eye glass thingy and all," James said, "maybe we should reschedule the whole…" the guys collectively agreed.

"Boy! Y'all ain't goin' nowhere!" Matoya snapped, "Not till you find my Crystal eye! And whatever y'all do, y'all better not step on it!"

_Creeck!_

The guys froze, their eyes widened. Tina and Chocolate's eyes widened also. They looked at each other uneasily. Their gazes slowly turned to Carlos, who appeared more nervous than they were.

"What was that sound?" Matoya whispered angrily.

Carlos peeked under his shoes to see pieces of glass. Tina and Chocolate's jaws dropped. The guys' faces ashen. "I broke her Crystal Eye." Carlos whispered.

"You know what!" Logan quickly spoke to Matoya, "It's probably the ceiling, making those creaking sounds."

"Yeah, I mean, you should really check that cave of yours." James added, "It's probably like how old? A thousand years?"

"Ahhh!" The guys panicked in response, realizing what James just did: he called Matoya old! Tina and Chocolate's eyes widen in shock.

"Did you… just called me… OOLLD?" Matoya hissed. The guys panicked.

"No, no! No, no!" Tina quickly replied, "They didn't call you old! They just… they just…" Tina was lost in words, "it's just that the place is so dark and umm… old fashioned… that they thought it was looking old."

"Y'all know I'm 1900 years old right?" Matoya snapped, "That's like the teenage years for witches. Now, help me find my Crystal Eye so that we can get this lesson started."

"Yes but before that let me take you to your room, Matoya." Tina proposed, guiding her old teacher to her bed in another room to the right corner of the cave, "The guys and I will find your Crystal Eye."

"Oh you better." Matoya jeered.

The witch was finally in her room and Tina quickly faced the guys, "I can't believe you did that!" she scolded Carlos who broke the Crystal Eye.

"Hey, it's not my fault." Carlos said, before pointing at the sweeping brooms, "Your cleanup crew should REALLY learn to clean better."

A broomstick angrily jumped and started smacking Carlos in the head, "OW! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"What are we going to do?" Logan snapped, "We gotta find a way to get her a new Crystal Eye!"

Kendall and James shuddered at the thought of it.

"Finding her a new Crystal Eye is gonna take weeks to get." Tina pointed out. The guys sighed in defeat.

"But luckily, I know a spell." Tina said with a reassuring smile. She went over to the bookshelf and pulled out a massive book. She slammed it open to the table, releasing dusts everywhere, causing the guys to cough. Tina flipped through the pages, "Undo…undo… there! Undo."

"Undo?" the guys questioned.

"It's a Time Magic brew."

"Time Magic brew?"

"The type of magic that can bend time and space." Tina said, "We need a couple of ingredients to get the repair started: Malboro vine, rat pelt, tiny mushrooms and a Fiend's blood. Oh, and if you see any broken mirror, pick one. Don't prick yourself."

"F-Fiend's blood?" James mumbled, suddenly feeling woozy at the thought of blood.

"Where are we gonna find all of that?" Kendall asked.

"The cave next door." Tina said, "Don't worry. It's easy to find these ingredients." She quickly got all cheery, "Ooh! You know what? This could be your perfect magical lesson for today! A quest to find ingredients to repair Matoya's Crystal Eye."

"I am so not ready for this." Kendall said.

"Now off you go!" Tina raised her staff up high again and the sigil took over the guys again. "WAIT! DON'T!" the guys yelled but too late. The sigil unleashed its powerful light, and the guys were gone, only to reappear in another cave. This time the cave was cold, dark, and gloomy.

"I hate it when she does that." Logan complained.

"You and me both bro." James agreed.

"And is it just me or does Natoya freakishly reminds you of Gustavo?" Carlos said.

"Yeahh..." the guys said, shuddering at the thought, "And she's..." they paused uneasily and shuddered again, "Yeech."

"By the way, her name is Matoya." Logan corrected his friend.

"We should move out and find those ingredients." Kendall said and the guys proceeded deep into the cave which quickly surrounded them in darkness with their silhouettes barely illuminated under faint torch light. James, Carlos and Logan huddled together to keep from getting separated.

"Okay... This place is officially not safe." Kendall admitted with an hint of unease in his voice.

"You think?" the guys said to him. They too sounded unease.

"A place like this could be crawling with ghosts." Carlos pointed out, knowing what he truly felt about ghosts and creepy supernatural creatures.

"Carlos, there is no such thing as ghosts." Logan reassured Carlos, once again knowing that these supernatural creatures are mere myths.

"Yes, but don't forget where we are now." Carlos reminded him, "A place of magic and goblins, and a creepy knight with huge sword?" he referred the knight to Garland.

Now Logan got nervous, "That's a... good point..."

But Carlos wasn't finished, "Remember those ghost stories we used to read when we were in 3rd Grade summer camp? About how at night, underworld creatures would crawl out of Hell to feast on human flesh? And what about El Cucuy? Oh-Ho! Don't get me started on that kids-eating freak! He could be anywhere, waiting for us to goof off on our mission, or get distracted and then before you know it...BAM! One of us is MISSING! With no trace of our whereabouts... and my helmet! Only their banshee laughters to rent our tombs..."

James whacked Carlos in the head to keep him from talking, "Ow..." Carlos receded. "Dude!" James snapped, "Don't talk about El Cucuy! He scares me! I still got horrible memories of this creature sneaking up on me everytime I spent my night hours doing my hair than being in bed!"

"You did your hair?" Kendall gave James a stunned look.

"Hey, I gotta look good in the morning!"

"Guys." Logan chided, "Again, there is no such thing as ghosts or El Cucuy. They're just myth. And I'm pretty sure they are in this world too."

But then he spoke too soon once his eyes caught on something crouching on their pathway. It was green, leaky, like a combination of rotting skin and drippy flesh that were hanging on limbs and in draping folds. He let out a scream of terror at the sight of the creature. All heads turned to its direction. They were about to scream frightfully but caught themselves off. Instead they began to back away as the creature began to roll out its twisted body and began to move silently toward the guys like a hobo crying for help. Its dangling eyeball looked like they were gonna snap from its socket any second, its limbs were unfurled, and its mouth cut corner-to-corner were full of sharp teeth that were really cavity city, with fungi for a tongue.

_Moans.._. the moment the creature made that sound was when Carlos screamed from the top of his lungs, "RUUNN!"

And the guys tore off in every direction, screaming for their lives. They ran so fast that their feet barely touched ground. They also ran so fast that they quickly lost their sense of direction and eventually lost each other.

Logan was gasping, his chest heaving up and down and his hands shake in terror. "What the heck was that?"

"I think it was moving!" James who was with him barely responded. He was crouching, with almost no breath and his eyes shut.

Logan looked back and noticed something was wrong. "...uh-oh."

"Uh-oh what?" James wheezed, "I can't breathe..."

"Carlos and Kendall." Logan replied, "they're gone."

James faced Logan, "G-gone...?"

"Yeah! We must've separated when we were running from that creature."

"...well, we gotta find them!"

Elsewhere, Kendall and Carlos were also out of breath after barely escaping the creature. Kendall looked up, realizing something is wrong, "Uh… Carlos."

"Wh-what…?" Carlos gasped.

"Have you seen Logan and James?"

Carlos looked around. No sign of James or Logan. "Uh… no." He then faced Kendall, "We must have split up when we were trying to get away from that creep."

"Come on, let's go find them." Kendall said.

xXx

**Chaos Shrine**

Chaos was at his throne, pondering with his hand on his chin and his long fingers calmly tapping on his throne arm. Before him came five evil entities: Garland, the Emperor Palamecia, Ultimecia, Kefka, and Kuja. They have all appeared to him by magic, and all of them have gathered at his feet. The Emperor sported his second alternate outfit from _Dissidia Duodecim_, with a silver bob-cut hairstyle and large horns; while Kefka too wore his second alternate outfit from _Duodecim _with green sleeves and bandanas. The rest of the villains were in regular outfits.

"You've summoned us, my lord?" the Emperor called him, though the thought of calling the god of the Underworld by that name was bitter taste in his mouth. The Emperor wanted to be a god himself, and be revered by many.

_It is time_. Chaos spoke eerily, _Time to show you the destiny we've been waiting for throughout all thirteen wars: the Four Warriors of Light._

Chaos projected a reflection of Big Time Rush on their wackiest adventures back at the Palm Woods in the Real World. The Emperor, Garland, and Ultimecia briefly spied on the four guys.

"Them?" the Emperor barked after seeing everything, "These are the four Warriors of Light, prophesized by Lukhan to end the endless cycle of battle?"

Chaos was silent. His silence confirmed it.

"You _can't_ be serious!" The Emperor exploded.

"I wish I wasn't." Garland responded.

"Who are you to judge?" the Emperor angrily snapped at Garland.

_He speaks on my behalf. _Chaos spoke, _after all_ _Garland is my other half. And like me he knows a lot of things. These four creatures will end the conflict. But do not fret. Their lives will end before they will even figure out their destinies._

"Chaos speaks the truth." Ultimecia agreed, "They do not know yet why they were brought here. And so we should keep them out of the loop. And very soon out of the picture."

"We cannot underestimate these four twerps." Garland said, "Together as one they are quite powerful. I've seen it myself."

"So what you're saying is that it's best that we split them apart, and take them down?" Kefka asked before forming a creepy smile, "Ooh, ooh… let the torture begins."

"Torture. I love it." Kuja agreed snidely, "Add a dash of their agonizing screams and it's an opera to my ears."

And the evil warriors laughed together, except the Emperor and Chaos, who still spy at the four guys.

xXx

Back at the Cave with Kendall and Carlos,

"I can't believe that Tina." Kendall pouted, "Sending us on our own like that to find her some stupid ingredients for her old lady's eyeglass."

Carlos stepped into something furry and weird. It was also gooey too. He looked down and saw a dead flat rat stuck on his shoe.

"KYAAAA! GETITOFF! GETITOFF! GETITOFF!"

"Hey, you found a Rat Pelt. Good job, Carlos." Kendall pulled out the rat pelt from Carlos' shoe and placed it in a small empty bag he found earlier.

Carlos grumbled, a vein popping on his forehead. "Y'know, someday you're gonna owe me big time."

"Oh, quit your whining dude." Kendall chuckled and the two were off.

Back at the Cave with Logan and James,

"Aww… I'm so thirsty…" James whined, "where are we gonna find a pool filled of water in here… auggh… I wish I was back at the Palm Woods pool…"

"Would you quit your whining James?" Logan complained, "There's not gonna be a pool in these premises. It's impossible."

They entered a section of the cave to find a large shiny pool of water stretched out before them, and illuminating the case. James' eyes glowed love, "WAATTEER!" he rushed toward the pool and ducked his whole head into it for a drink. After enjoying himself he jumped into it, screaming, "Whoaa-oooh!" Logan stared at his friend, sweatdrop. "I spoke too soon…"

"Huh?" something caught Logan's attention. He approached a large rock situated near the pond and leaned over its creases underneath to spot what he was looking for, "Hey, James! Look at this!" he plucked them off the rock and showed them to his swimming friend, "Tiny mushrooms!" he laughed. "Now come on, we got like three things left to find."

"We're leaving already?" James said, "Aw, come on! I was enjoying myself…"

"James." Logan sighed, "Can you ever not like, think about yourself for one second?"

"Uhh… no."

Back at the Cave with Kendall and Carlos,

"What do you think a Malboro Vine looks like?" Kendall asked Carlos.

Carlos pondered, his fingers gently rubbing his chin, "Mm… well, when I think about Malboro, I think about that cigarette box called Malboro. But when I think about a vine… it's pretty much look like these." He pointed at a nearby plant with lots of vines.

"That could be a Malboro Vine." Kendall guessed, although he sounded like he wasn't sure of himself.

Then Carlos saw a poster nearby that says, "Beware dangerous Malboro, with a picture of the Malboro monster on it. "Orr…" he rephrased, "it could be like this one."

Kendall saw the poster as well, "Yep. That's a Malboro."

"Aw, man! It's a monster?" Carlos panicked.

"No sweat Carlos. I'm pretty sure it's a harmless creature."

"Yeah? Like that twisted human-like creature we saw earlier?" Carlos argued, "Yeah. I'm pretty sure it's harmless when it's not sucking on people's blood like vampires!"

"Carlos, trust me on this." Kendall reassured, "I'm pretty sure that Malboro's nearby."

Two moving vines, then four, then six, then many of them started showing up and hovering behind Kendall. Carlos, being the only one to see it, froze in panic. "Err… Kendall."

"No, seriously!" Kendall kept talking, "This Malboro is gonna be waiting for us to move onto its territory, so that it can reach its slimy vines all around us, lift us up, and gently squeeze us tight till we're meat juice."

And the Malboro was just doing that. Half of its many vines slowly and gently lifted Kendall from the ground while the other half gently wrapped around the blonde clueless teen, slowly squeezing him. Carlos' eyes went wide. "I'm pretty sure it's doing just THAT!" Carlos pointed.

Kendall finally noticed the Malboro. The Malboro's eyes stared into Kendall lustfully. "HIIISSSS!"

"WUUUAAAHH!" Kendall screamed, "CARLOS! DO SOMETHING!"

Carlos quickly pulled out his Shuriken and flung them at the Malboro vines, snapping them off. The Malboro hissed in pain as its vines released Kendall. Kendall pulled out his sword and the two boys were ready to battle the creature.

"HHHHHIIIIIIIISSSS!"

"KYAAAAAHHH!" The guys screamed.

"Quick! Grab a vine!" Kendall pointed Carlos a cut vine.

"YOU GRAB IT!"

"No you!"

"No you!"

"Okay! On the count of three we grab it together!"

"Got it!"

"One…"

"…two…"

"…three!"

Carlos jumped for a vine and grabbed it. He looked back to see Kendall was still standing. "HEEY! You tricked me!"

"HIIIIISSSS!"

"Look out!" Kendall yelled.

The Malboro moved its vine toward Carlos. "UUWWAAAAHH!" Carlos quickly dodged the vine before it slammed hard on the ground.

"Let's get outta here!" Kendall and Carlos took off from the Malboro.

"I CANNOT believe you tricked me!" Carlos complained.

"I HAD to! I couldn't face that Malboro again not after it was gonna turn me into meat juice!"

"HIIIIISSSS!" The boys looked back to see the Malboro was still chasing, crashing through rocks and other obstacles and causing the cave to rock violently.

"UUWWAAAAHH!" The boys got faster at running. They zipped through one corner of the cave, leapt over oncoming gaps, slid down a sturdy hill, and flew over a pristine lake fifty feet below. Just when they were close to falling, the boys managed to grab a nearby vine and swung over another platform, still screaming for their lives. They let go and went right onto James and Logan who were also nearby. They crashed each other and the four guys kept tumbling down another hill until they came to a full stop close to the edge.

The boys quickly got up, seeing how close to death they were.

"You couldn't have landed on something soft?" James screamed at Kendall and Carlos.

"Well, hello to you too!" Kendall snapped.

"If you haven't tricked me, none of this would've happened!" Carlos snapped at his friend, who rolled his eyes, "Aw, come on…"

"Guys! Guys!" Logan yelled to calm down the fighting guys, "Stop it! We're almost close to death here, and you wanna pick the TIME to argue?"

"Greetings, gentlemen." Palamecia popped out of the hill, freaking the guys out. "UUWWAAAAHHH!"

"Oh my, would you look at that, y'all being in a predicament." The Emperor smiled.

"Who the heck are you?" Carlos asked.

"How about, none of your business?"

"Oh-kay, none of your business." Logan said, "Are you gonna help us out or…"

"On the contrary, gentlemen." The Emperor waved his staff over the guys, and gently guided them to bottom floor of the cave, "Rumor has it that you are looking for some ingredients for an old witch. So I'm here to guide you on your doom…ain."

"Domain?" Kendall raised an eyebrow.

"Domain of richness."

"Great!" Kendall said, "Well, so far we got a rat pelt, a Malboro vine…"

"…and some fresh mushroom." Logan added.

"All we need is…" James said.

"Fiend's Blood?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah, that." The guys responded hesitantly.

The Emperor smiled wickedly, "Excellent."

A loud growl was heard behind the Emperor. The Emperor turned around to stare at the pit and smiled, "Well look at that, right on time."

"On time for what?" the guys asked.

"Exactly." The Emperor grinned before he vanished by magic. The earth suddenly began to shake violently. The guys turned nervous.

"Was it just me or was that guy really was not a good guy?" James asked.

Suddenly a horde of flying imps shot off from the pit to corner the guys, covering the air like massive buzzing bees.

"Yep! He was not!" The guys said together.

"MUEEHHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!" The imps laughed maniacally.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" The guys freaked out.

The imps charged at the guys. The guys pulled out their weapons seconds before the imps started tackling them furiously. One imp charged toward Kendall who quickly recovered and nimbly dodged the attack. He swung his sword, striking the imp down. Then swung once more to strike another, then another, but there were too many of them for him to swing on. James managed to knock down a good number of imps with his nunchunks but a whole bunch of them jumped on him from his back. Carlos attacked the imps close ranged with his knives while keeping the far-ranged ones at bay with his Shurikens, but the imps were still no match for him. Logan struck the imps from afar with his Fire Magic from his staff, but he couldn't keep the close-ranged imps away and they seized that chance to pin him down.

"You'll never take us alive!" James yelled.

"NEVER!" the guys responded as the imps were laughing maniacally, still beating down the guys.

Suddenly a homing ball of light shot out of nowhere and struck the ground in a force that scared the imps away to its source. They all looked up and saw Tina and her Chocobo Chocolate.

"Leave them alone!" Tina barked at the imps.

"KWEAH!" Chocolate squeaked.

The imps menacingly approached Tina; all of them were making disturbing gnashing sounds as if they were ready to strike any second. Tina closed her index and major finger together and a shiny light was charging above them. The imps looked alert.

"DIA!" Tina yelled and shot another ball of light from her finger, striking an imp into crisp. The frightened imps finally turned and sped off.

Tina ran to the guys' aid, "Oh my gosh, are you guys all right?" she asked.

"Y-yeah…" Logan replied, "You saved our lives. What was that?"

"A white magic called Dia." Tina said, "It destroys anything undead. Like these imps. Boy, you guys should _really_ be careful on where you go off to just to find some simple ingredients."

"Really?" Kendall sounded angry, "Like what you did before, sending us into some cave we don't even know?"

"Yeah! That's dangerous!" Carlos complained.

"Yeah! I almost died of thirst!" James exclaimed.

"We don't roll like that!" the guys said together.

Tina giggled, "Guys! That cave I sent you off to is right below Matoya's Cave!"

"Whaaa?"

"Yeah! If you wanted to turn back, you should have just found your way back into her lair easy."

"Ohh…"

"Now did you find the ingredients?"

"All except the Fiend's Blood." Logan said.

Tina pulled out from her pouch and small empty flask, "Say no more." She approached a dead imp, pulled out a small knife from her belt and cut the beast's belly open, _SHLAASSH_! She then squeezed the skin to pour out some green liquid from the creature into the flask. The guys watched in disgust. She closed the flask and faced the guys with a smile. "There all done!"

"That's… Fiend's Blood?" Carlos frowned in disgust.

"It's… gulp… not even red." Kendall cringed.

Logan stood there silent.

James turned green, ready to barf. "Excuse me." He ran toward the pit to puke. The guys watched in disgust, then suddenly joined him to puke as well. Both Tina and Chocolate frowned.

"They _really _find this thing disgusting?" Tina said to her Chocobo.

"KWUHH-UH…" Chocolate mumbled.

The Emperor, suspended above the pit and far away from the heroes was watching them from afar.

Kefka popped out besides him, "Well, looks like the shoe is on the other foot." he provoked.

"Darn it!" the Emperor barked. "These meddlesome fools foiled my plan!"

He raised his staff up and a sigil appeared below his feet. The sigil light took over his whole body and he vanished, leaving Kefka alone.

"You're leaving already?" Kefka shouted to the air.

"What do you think?" The Emperor's voice was heard.

Kefka snapped his finger and he too teleported.

xXx

Tina, Chocolate and the guys have gathered around the boiling cauldron back at Matoya's Cave. Tina was turning the boiling cauldron with a large spoon.

"Okay, now that it's simmered, pass in the Fiend's Blood." she said.

"Don't say that word again." Kendall complained, carefully handing over the flask of blood to Tina and trying his best not to puke again, "You're gonna make us barf again."

"Uh-oh... here it comes..." Carlos looked ready to puke. The guys frowned. "Uggh..."

"_ESUNA_!" Tina waved her hand up and a bright light took over Carlos. Before he knew it, he was feeling better again.

"Phew... thanks." he said, smiling.

"No puking from you all!" Tina scolded the guys, "The brooms just clean this place up." she turned back to the cauldron and dumped the blood in, "Now, just a couple more seconds and the Undo Spell will be ready."

"TINA!" barked Matoya from nearby, "WHERE IS MY CRYSTAL EYE?"

The guys all looked at each other in panic.

"Uh-oh." James said, "Here comes to mean old witch..."

"WHERE...IS... MY CRYSTAL... EYE?"

"Still searching!" Tina yelled back, still turning the boiling cauldron, "Logan, you got your staff?"

"Yeah?" he responded.

"Dump the staff in the cauldron and then pick it up again!"

"Wait, whoa! Dump the staff in that boiling stuff?"

"Yeah!"

"And then put my hand IN there?" Logan shouted, "Don't you think it's gonna burn me?"

"Just do as I say!" Tina snapped.

"I think you should." Kendall advised and the boys all agreed, pressuring him. "Oh, heck no!"

But it wasn't gonna hurt! C'mon Logan, just do it! The guys and Tina kept pressuring him, as if all hope of the world depended on it, or worse, they could be turned into frogs by the mean ol' witch if the Crystal Eye wasn't returned to her in seconds; but Logan kept fighting back: it's gonna hurt! His _whole_ arm was gonna get third degree burn! And burns like that _never_ recover. But the guys and Tina's pressuring protests just got louder and louder, and louder and…

"ALLRIGHT!" Logan snapped and as if without thinking anymore dumped his whole arm into the boiling cauldron to grab the staff. He was just about ready to scream in pain when he felt the liquid around his arm. No pain. In fact, the boiling cauldron was surprisingly warm. Feeling the stress off his shoulder, he pulled his staff out of the cauldron.

"You did it!" the boys cheered.

"Aw man, look at your arm..." Carlos noticed Logan's arm was covered in gooey green, so was his staff, "It must've burnt bad."

"Actually, it wasn't quite bad." Logan said, removing the goo off his arm and off his staff.

"Perfect!" Tina said in glee, "Now quickly, point your staff on these broken glass and say Undo!" Tina opened her palm to reveal Matoya's Crystal Eyes.

Logan immediately obeyed, "UNDO!" he pointed the staff on the broken Crystal Eyes, and a bright light took over the Eyes; before a split second the Crystal Eyes got fixed.

"Yes! We did it! We fixed the Crystal Eye!" Tina cheered and the guys cheered together.

_[Final Fantasy victory fanfare + BTR 'Famous' victory fanfare]_

"HEY!"

The guys got startled by Matoya's voice.

"What the hell is all this laughter for?" she barked, "Y'all supposed to be looking for my Crystal Eye!"

"Actually, Matoya!" Tina formed a smile, "We got it."

"Right here!" the guys said together.

Tina handed to Matoya her Crystal Eyes. Matoya stretched her eye sockets up and stuffed the eyes in place. The guys quivered just watching her. Matoya blinked a couple of times, sensing her vision clearing up anew. The dark-lit cave, her books, her boiling cauldron, her student and her Chocobo… she could see them all again!

"Ah, finally." She breathed a sigh of relief, before her attention turned to the four guys. She knew their destiny, she knew their future, she had briefly talked to them, but she didn't like _seeing_ them.

"That's it?" she cringed.

The guys raised eyebrows, not liking her impression.

"I was expecting chiseled bodies and broad athletic faces, not… skinny figures with high cheekbones!"

The guys looked at each other then back at Matoya in disbelief, "Skinny? Cheekbones?"

Tina and Chocolate stifled at Matoya's insult.

"What are YOU laughing at?" the witch caught them.

Tina and Chocolate quickly looked serious, "Nothing."

Matoya's glum face "And do y'all always talk together like that? Hmph! No wonder y'all don't have girlfriends."

Tina and Chocolate cracked up, laughing. The guys' jaws dropped. No girlfriend? Who does she think she's talking to?

"Hey! I have a girlfriend!" Kendall protested, "Her name is Jo! And she's…" he paused uncomfortably, "…back at the Palm Woods."

"I too have a girlfriend!" Logan protested as well, "Camille!"

"Wait, I thought Camille and you were finished." James asked Logan.

"No we're not!" Logan quickly snapped, "_You're_ still single!"

"HEY! I—!" James stopped talking, realizing that Logan was right. He _was _single. Not in a relationship.

Matoya sat down on her chair and turned her attention to Carlos, "What about you? We already know these three's stories."

Carlos crossed his arms and had that pouting face as if he's got nothing to hide, "It's none of your business."

"Well darlin', you're not even as attractive as I thought you'd be…" Matoya twirled her white gray hair, "but HAWT? Hmph- Hmph-_HMPH_!"

Carlos' eyes widened in shock. So does the guys, Tina and Chocolate.

_[UH-OH! UHOH! OHHHH!]_

"Don't you guys have someplace to go?" Tina quickly changed subject, "Like right now?"

YEAH! The guys agreed in a second and before Matoya knew it, the whole gang got out of the cave in a flash.

"You can run all you want, darlin'… I'll still be waitin'." Matoya cackled.

xXx

**

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On the Next Episode of _Big Time Final Fantasy_**

_Big Time Rush heads to Mt. Palamecia for some treasure hunting quest,_

_But the quest leads them straight into a trap._

"To the victor goes Hilda, Princess of Fynn." The Emperor said to a trapped Firion in the Colosseum. "To the loser, well, you know your fate."

"This mad man has a bunch of girls trapped in his dungeon!" James said.

"Who are you?" said Aria to the guys. She was with Fate and Valerie by her side.

_Will the guys make it out of there in time?_

"Where is the princess?" Firion angrily faced the Emperor who smiled snidely.

**Find out on our next _Big Time Final Fantasy_ episode**

**~Big Time Palamecia~

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**

**Author's Note: **Original Characters are still invited. If you want to submit yours, feel free anytime. But only for a limited time. OCs must be a character from the Final Fantasy world. More info in the Cast of Characters chapter.


	4. Ep2: Big Time Palamecia

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Ep.2: __Big Time Palamecia__**-**_

* * *

Firion could hear the cynical laugh of the Emperor echoing through the air. He was running toward a dark cold tunnel, heading toward a flicker of light gleaming at a distance.

He glanced back at the massive Behemoth that was hot on his trail. It let out a powerful roar of fury that extracted a wind so strong that it almost lifted Firion off his feet. Firion was running faster, his breathing shallower and shaken in absolute fear, toward the bright light.

He reached the end of the darkness, only to end up in the middle of a grand empty field covered in hot sands that filled his metal boots up to the ankles. The Behemoth was closing in. He quickly glanced around him to see several tunnel entries all blocked by metal bars. It had the feel of a colosseum. Then the bars suddenly shifted and rose upward, and that's where Firion stopped his paces.

He watched coming out of the tunnels more monsters. Each different than the next: a coeurl in black skin, a dozen skin-chewing ghouls, floating eyes with tentacles, venomous spiders twice the size of an average Chocobo, and an anaconda about 12 feet large, 8 feet high enough to squeeze through the tunnel hole. The behemoth was right behind Firion, its breathing burning through his neck. He quickly turned around and was this close to pull out his lance, when the Behemoth swung its claws at him, sending him into a wall.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" The Emperor's laugh echoed again.

Firion grunted in pain. His eyes slowly opened to watch the monsters approaching, cornering him. His fear returned anew. He quickly shuffled through the sands to pick up his lance and pointed at the menacing creatures that were in front of him. The monsters slowed their steps and stood still.

"To the victor goes Hilda, Princess of Fynn." The Emperor's announcement caught Firion's attention to the upper left side of the arena right behind him.

"To the loser, well…" he mirthlessly chuckled before it faded into a cold glare, "…you know your fate."

"EMPEROR!" Firion shouted, "Damn it! Where is the princess?" he angrily asked.

The Emperor smiled snidely, before once again returning to his cold glare.

"ANSWER ME!" Firion cried desperately.

"To the VICTOR," the Emperor repeated again, "goes Hilda, Princess of Fynn."

Firion looked back at the menacing creatures that had trapped him.

"Kill him." The Emperor ordered the creatures and all of them encircled Firion without hesitation, without stopping. Firion quickly pulled out his bow and arrow and aimed.

"Get away from me…"

xXx

Back at the Big Time Airship and the guys—Kendall, James and Carlos—entered their airship's den to find an occupied Logan who was staring aimlessly at the pages of a strange book.

"Hey Logan!" James greeted, "Man, you missed one heck of a Hockey Match back there at the Sky Deck."

"James, don't rub it in." Carlos sighed, still feeling the defeat of the match.

"No really, that was funny!" James laughed, "You should have seen Tina's face fall flat on the ice! And she _made_ that ice!"

"Uh-Uh…yeah…nuh…" Logan mumbled, his eyes still peering across the book's pages in interest.

"Uhh… Logan?" Kendall asked, "Watchu readin'?"

"Hm?" Logan finally looked up to see his friends, "Oh, hey guys! Yeah, I found this book of legends at the library's bookshelf. Check out the title." He half-closed the book for them to see its cover.

" 'This is happening'?" James read, confused by the title. "What is happening?"

"Actually it's _'Daswai,_ This is Happening'" Logan corrected, "Written by a famous Nu Mou Scholar from Ivalice called Daswai."

"His name sounds more like 'that's why'." Carlos said.

"Yes. And what's interesting about his book, is that he tells legends that lead to unanswered questions of why certain events happen. Like uhh… let's see… oh! Why the tiger has stripes, or why do trees grow fruits…"

"Or check this out!" Carlos pointed at a particular section of the book, "Why is this treasure island forbidden?"

"Treasure Island?" James exclaimed, "Forbidden? Since when?"

Logan started reading the paragraph under the subtitle, "'Mt. Palamecia. Thus the name of the island must never tempt the foolish into going treasure hunting there. Here's to why Mt. Palamecia, an Isle of Treasures, is forbidden to everyone, even to the bravest.'"

"Mt. Palamecia?" Kendall laughed at the sound of the name, so did the guys, "Sounds like Paramecium!"

"Ha-ha! That's the name of a bacteria!" James laughed out loud. Carlos agreed and the two high-fived.

Logan glanced over at the two guys, eyes narrowed, "No, that's the name of the protazoa that generally _feeds_ on bacteria."

"Dude. Isn't that what I just said?"

"Guys, we should totally go there!" Carlos proposed.

"No, no, no." Logan quickly said, "We can't go there, it's forbidden."

"But for what reason?" Kendall asked, "Does Daswai know?"

Before Logan could answer, a large thud caught their attention. They turned around to see Tina on her knees, hanging onto her hockey stick. She was in her hockey outfit and was completely bruised up. She angrily pointed; "You guys…" she breathed shallowly, "…are gonna p-pay for treating a girl like th…this… ugh…" she collapsed.

xXx

"Are you guys crazy?" Tina screamed.

The cheerful guys got hesitant all of the sudden. They have just informed Tina of the possibility of visiting the forbidden treasure island of Mt. Palamecia, and they did not expect her contradiction to it.

"Girl, we're _all_ crazy here." Carlos said, spicing up the mood with his usual cheerfulness.

"We've gone past crazy since we became best friends." James added, Logan and Kendall nodded along.

"Yeah, but you haven't gone off the insane level!" Tina barked, "Mt. Palamecia is forbidden." She then articulated as if speaking to young toddlers, "_For-bid-den! _Once you go in, you can't come out!"

The guys were silent again.

"You know what; I can't let you do this. We're turning this ship around and taking a shortcut."

The guys groaned, disappointment churning on their stomach, "But we can't take a shortcut. That's our only path back home to the Palm Woods…" Logan then hesitated after meeting Tina's dark glare, "…right after we defeat evil."

"Speaking of evil, who are we even facing?" James asked. He and the guys have been in the Final Fantasy for at least a week now and they still had no clue of their objectives here.

"I'm thinking that Garland guy." Kendall theorized, knowing that they're supposed to defeat evil with the help of the Crystals around the necklaces. But other than that information, they were still unaware of their true goal.

"Oh-oh! Not just Garland. The whole nine yard of Villains of Darkness…" Tina muttered, purposely low enough for the guys to barely hear her answer. She knew it wasn't the right time to tell them their true destiny. But then she shook her head off the thought and bellowed, "…but that's not the issue here! You guys are not ready to face this challenge, and the evil that resides from within its castle walls. For the sake of the Prophecy…" she thought about it again: the Prophecy, the fact that the guys were gonna face Chaos in the future… losing the guys to any form of darkness… shaking her head and raising her arms up, she couldn't bear that thought "…I'm sorry. I… I just can't let you do that. As Cosmos as my witness, I will NOT let you go to Mt. Palamecia."

The guys sighed again, still disappointed. But then simultaneously, they thought. If there was evil from inside Mt. Palamecia Castle, any type of evil other than Garland, they could face it, right? After all, they were the Four Warriors of Light! They were Big Time Rush! And Big Time Rush, like the hockey-playing singers they are, ALWAYS took risks! Kendall was first to smile at that thought. So did James, then Carlos, then Logan. Their smiles followed Tina, as if stalking.

"What's on your mind?" Tina asked, already guessing they were up to no good.

"Oh, nuttin'." Kendall said, "We were just thinking that if there is evil there, and you want us to defeat evil…"

Tina's eyes stretched. "WHAT PART OF NOT GOING TO MT. PALAMECIA DON'T Y'ALL UNDERSTAND?"

"The Not Going part!" The guys hooted and Carlos, Logan and James grabbed Tina's arms and began dragging her away from the Airship Den. The girl struggled to break free but their grasps tightened. "HEEY! Lemme go you son of a—MAN, y'all freakishly strong! GAAH! Chocolate, HELP!"

"WWWARRK!"

Chocolate charged toward the guys and stood guard, blocking the door.

"Get out of my way you overlarge chick!" James barked.

A light bulb dinged in Carlos' head. "I got it." He searched through his pocket and pulled out a half-eaten pack of Fruit Smackers. Chocolate's eyes targeted the fruit snacks. "Huh?"

"Who wants some Fruit Smackers?" Carlos waved the snack to the Chocobo temptingly.

"KWWEH KWARKERSS?" Chocolate squealed and threw itself to the snack to eat it.

"Chocolate!" Tina screamed, "Aaugh! How worthless are you?" But Chocolate didn't seem to care as it was chopping on the Fruit Smackers.

xXx

**Mt. Palamecia**

The door to the Palamecia Castle Throne Chamber swung open and soldiers came in with their prisoner Firion. Firion appeared thrashed and bruised. His cape, his torso, his pants were so torn that it left him half-exposed. His skin were ripped and torn as if they were made of paper. Blood were everywhere, trails of them. His face was so disfigured even modern day surgery wouldn't have no chance.

The prisoner was tossed to the feet of the evil Emperor like a ragged doll. Emperor Palamecia stood still, staring at his prisoner. Leon the Dark Knight was by his side. Firion knew Leon. He still could not fathom the fact that his stepbrother had joined the forces of Darkness. He tried to speak but the pain was too taxing to do so.

"L…Leon…"

The Emperor removed his gaze from Firion and went onto the soldiers who brought him in, "So what do you want me to do with this?" he said callously.

"We thought it would be appropriate for you to deliver some proper disgrace and agony to this fool warrior of the Goddess, before he meets his ultimate death." One of the soldiers proposed.

"And I thought I was the one giving orders." The Emperor said, calmly but you could sense in that tone of his that he was not happy.

"W-Why…" Firion grunted.

"Mmh?" The Emperor turned his gaze back at Firion.

"Why… would you… do this…?" Firion, using only a small ounce of strength, whimpered to Leon, "…why would… w…" his breathing quickly turned shallow and he let out a thunderous cough. It was so loud and mourning that he actually scattered blood everywhere.

"Oh, just take that trash away." The Emperor sneered, "It's making a mess on my upholstered carpet."

The soldiers grabbed Firion and dragged him out of the throne room. Firion still gasping and wheezing in pain managed to let out a scream, "You'll never win, Emperor! NGH-NEVER! Cosmos as my witness… YOU'LL NEVER WIN!"

The doors closed shut.

"So, tell me, Emperor." Leon finally spoke under his dark helmet, "What is the purpose of all of this? Capturing these people. Making them fight for the death?"

The Emperor was quiet for a second. He knew the answer to his callous plan but to actually say it was making him bitterer and bitterer by the minute. He finally said it, with vain in his tone of voice.

"Big Time Rush."

Leon's gaze went on him, "What?"

"Those damn Four Warriors of Light, that's what." The Emperor jumped off his throne and descended the steps.

"The Prophecy?"

"It is written, by Lukhan, that these Four Warriors will end the War of the Gods. It's either darkness or light that should go off permanently." He grinned, "Well, guess what. Darkness has been here for a long time. A very long time. Even before LIFE! Until LIGHT showed up."

Leon was silent. Palamecia wasn't finished, "Well, let me tell you something. I am not gonna let these meddlesome worms have Light take over Darkness. This tournament and those prisoners are one of many ways to have them succumb to Darkness." He looked away from Leon, "It's time for Light, to go out like a light. And this war will see to it."

xXx

The Big Time Airship finally landed on the airship dock of Mt. Palamecia. The airship dock had a large runway for disembarking passengers, leading its way to the interior of the castle.

The guys disembarked the ship, without Tina and Chocolate of course. They looked around. Surrounding the runway was a small crowd of trees with a crystal clear stream cut through the well-trimmed grass separating the trees from each other and nourishing the flowers at its banks. The flowers, the guys noticed, were nothing like the ones at the Palm Woods, or in Minnesota. These flowers were different: Telaq Flowers and Muscalow all around. But the most catchiest and most popular of flowers that overwhelmed the small garden around the guys were the dark roses, as black as coal itself that their petals might crumbled to human's touch. And with a corolla shaped like skull, they were terrifying to the eyes.

But that wasn't as terrifying as what they saw at the very end of the runway. There stood an arched entry with raised portcullis, its blades trimmed and shaped to the tip like the sharp teeth of a bloodthirsty beast. And the entry was so dark inside that it felt like going into oblivion. There was no light whatsoever. Not even a couple of dimmed torchlight to keep the path straight and narrow that one can see in a typical forbidden cave. They gulped, their high expectations just died.

"Err… guys." Logan spoke first, "Are you sure we're doing the right thing?"

The guys glanced over. The hesitant Logan quickly added, "I mean, don't get me wrong here, we barely know the place, we barely know this world, and we've left Tina and Chocolate back onboard that ship…"

"Dude!" Carlos interrupted, trying to suck it up, "This is Mt. Palamecia, the _forbidden _island!"

"Yeah. And by _forbidden_, it means we shouldn't be here." Logan tried to reason, "We should've listened to Tina. So let's go." He turned on his heels to board back into the ship when James placed his hands on his shoulders, stopping him. "Oh, Logan…" He chuckled, "I think you're misunderstanding here. By _forbidden_, it means we _have_ to be here."

"Which is why," Kendall casually added, "we've got to get inside the island's most forbidden castle." He then peered again at the entry with the raised portcullis again, a true invitation to a cold threat waiting for the guys inside. His confidence slowly dimmed, "…and by going I mean we go through that weird entryway… is that a mouth?" he asked suddenly.

"I think it is." Carlos squinted.

"I'm out!" Logan said, his voice rose with certainty as he turned back to board the ship.

"To the castle!" James shouted with determination and took off into the dark entry. Kendall and Carlos reluctantly followed, shouting for James to slow down. Only Logan was left behind, watching his comrades quickly fading into the dark entryway.

"Wait!" he cried out frantically and ran after them. Leon has just watched the guys from out the windows. Seeing Logan entering last, he declared, "They're here."

"Hmph." The Emperor only uttered, "I knew it. I knew they would've read that pathetic fairy tale about this empire being a forbidden island full of treasure instead of a treacherous castle raised by Hell. I should give you props, Ultimecia. They fell for it."

Suddenly the Empress of Time appeared before the Emperor, a smirk across her sly lips, "Why thank you, Emperor." She said, "Just make sure you don't make me regret using all my time powers to fabricate a book full of blank pages for you to fail on capturing these… Big Time Rush again."

The Emperor laughed out loud in reply. "Oh don't worry Empress; they _will _regret crossing me, the Emperor." He then shouted to his staff, "You hear that, Firion? The Warriors of Light are here. And pretty soon, they will join you, for eternity, at the mercy of Chaos."

Firion was in his jail cell when he heard the Emperor speak to him and laughing at his latest maniacal plan. Firion shouted, "NO!" He angrily slammed on the jail bars, "Damn it, Palamecia! You touch a single hair on these Warriors of Light; I swear I will kill you!"

The Emperor's laugh was so trenchant that it felt like it cut through the walls of the castle. And Logan, who was now all alone surrounded by these tinted walls with little dimmed lights to see, seemed to have felt the evil laughter like a cold breeze on snowy winter plains.

"Guys?" he looked around, calling out to his friends, "Guys?"

No response.

"Aw, come on guys. Don't leave me hanging here! I'm scared!"

His foot felt a crunching sound. He looked down and noticed a bone. His gaze left the bone and traced it all the way to a dead skeleton silently reclining by the wall. He screamed, backing away from the skeleton, until he felt someone behind him. He turned around and saw Carlos. He was alone and apparently was also freaking out. The two screamed.

"Carlos?"

"Logan?"

Logan took a deep breath before snapping at his friend, "What are you doing here? You scared the beezebees outta me! Where are the others?"

Carlos was suddenly quiet.

_~Flashback starts~_

_Kendall, James, and Carlos crossed an intersection within the castle. They looked around, stared at each other, and glanced at their surroundings again. Finally and together they said, "THAT WAY!" and the three went, unknowingly splitting up to different directions: Kendall went West, James straight North, and Carlos went East._

_~Flashback ends~_

"You three _split up_?" Logan exclaimed.

"HEY!" Carlos snapped, "It's not my fault that they didn't go MY way!" he shook his head and brought up his cheerful smile, "but nevermind that, check out what I found." He pulled out from underneath his sleeves a piece of worn-out parchment paper with some drawings on it. Logan analyzed the paper.

"It looks like a map."

"A _treasure_ map." Carlos emphasized, "And this is a treasure _island_."

A smirk finally appeared in Logan's lips, "And we're inside a treasure _castle_."

The two friends nodded with sly looks on their faces. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Oh, totally. Let's raid the Castle's Treasury!" Carlos took off without haste. The smile immediately disappeared from Logan. "HEY!" he shouted, "Don't get too far man!"

xXx

James was all alone, sitting on a concrete stair step facing a stream of water that briefly cut a path between where he was sitting and another step. The step was only four feet away from him and it led to an arched opening going deeper into the castle's sewage underground where he ended up.

James had his chin gently resting on his hand as if in deep thought. Then finally he let out a big sigh, "I can't believe we've split up again." He then shouted out, "HEEY!" only to get an echo. "Guys, this ain't funny y'know! No more hiding this time now! Just come out already!"

He suddenly heard whispers, as if in response to his cry. He looked to his left and spotted two people. He stood up, alerted yet relieved at the same time. "Guys?"

The two people reluctantly came out of their hiding place: Bartz and Zidane! Of course James did not know them, yet he was disappointed to see that it wasn't Kendall, Carlos or Logan. Heck, for a moment there he was hoping to see Tina and Chocolate.

"I have a strong feeling that we're not the people you're actually looking for," said Bartz, cluing in on James' disappointed look on his face.

"You two seemed friendly." James said to the two companions warily, "Should I dare ask who are you, or are you all gonna summon monsters just to attack me?"

Bartz and Zidane laughed wholeheartedly, "Monsters?" Zidane said, "We gotta be magicians to do that. And we would've been a Warrior of Chaos. Goddess forbids."

"I know." Bartz said.

James wasn't laughing. Bartz and Zidane's laughter quickly died, upon noticing his sincerity.

"Oh you were serious?" Bartz asked.

Zidane gasped, finally getting a clear mental picture of what James was talking about, "A Warrior of Chaos got into you didn't he?"

"You could say that." James said.

"But why would a Warrior of Chaos…" Bartz stopped suddenly, noticing something glowing underneath James' shirt in stunned recognition, "Oh my god… is that a Crystal?" his frozen glance went back at James, "A Water Crystal?"

"Err…" James hesitated, then pulled the Crystal necklace from underneath his shirt and held it out for Bartz and Zidane to see. Their astonishment has suddenly grown.

"No way!" Zidane exclaimed.

"Could anyone tell me what's so special about this stone?" James asked, "Sure it's glowing and beautiful like me. But… how come—?"

Zidane cut him off, "You're one of the Four Warriors of Light are you?"

James hesitated again, "I guess so."

Bartz then asked, "Where are the others?"

James's glum expression returned, "Separated." He said, also sounded defeated, "We ended up in an intersection and we split up going each other's way. We ALWAYS do that when we get into these places!"

"Forget about that man! We have to find the rest of your friends before the Emperor do!" Bartz said.

Zidane grabbed Bartz by the arm, "Wait!" he said, "What about the other prisoners? And Firion?"

"Prisoners? Firion?" James repeated, "Emperor?"

And so it was later that day that Bartz and Zidane escorted James into the castle's dungeon. The dungeon was the size of a mess hall. One you could find in a magic school like Hogwarts. Spacious atmosphere, high ceiling, and a massive door that almost looked like a portal ready to welcome Knights of Darkness into a dark kingdom; the dungeon was grand. And it housed over five thousand prisoners, all stuffed up into cells just as small and uncomfortable as walk-in closets. But that alone wasn't James' biggest surprise in this castle. He saw that the prisoners were no mere criminals, but innocent young girls, women and kids. He was appalled.

"Wait… what is this?" James asked, "Why are all those people in this place? What did they do?"

"Nothin'." Bartz said with a sigh.

"Nothing more but just serving our Goddess of Light Cosmos, and doing her life's work all across their land." Zidane said, then added, "Well actually their land in Firion's world of course."

"And this Firion guy is the one you're searching?" he asked.

"We were at the Sanctuary of Order when Cosmos informed us that Chaos and his Warriors have already made a move against you back at Matoya's Cave." Zidane said. "The person behind it was none other than Emperor Palamecia himself. He's the one who rules this empire. Now when Firion heard it he was filled with rage for he couldn't bear to see another innocent fall into the clutches of the Emperor, so he came here to confront him but one thing led to another and…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back up for a second? Empire?" That phrase startled James. He was still stunned about the revelation that this Emperor was the same guy that almost had them killed back at Matoya's Cave with his herd of imp monsters, moments before Tina and Chocolate came to the rescue. Then he thought about the empire and the forbidden island and the whole connection between them, and Firion and the Emperor… it was too much pills to swallow all at once. "You mean to tell me that this isn't an island full of treasure?"

"An island full of treasures?" Zidane stifled. Bartz hit him with his shoulder to keep him quiet.

"Don't tell me you believe in this nonsense." Bartz quickly said to James, "This is Palamecia Empire; a castle soon to be raised by Hell and be dubbed Pandemonium within the next hour. And if we don't get everyone—and I mean EVERYONE outta here, we'll be trapped within its walls forever!"

"WHAT?" James screamed. The color on his face suddenly drained. "This mad man has a bunch of girls trapped in his dungeon! And he plans to trap US too?"

"Hence, the treasure maps." Zidane showed James a piece of parchment paper, very similar to what Carlos and Logan currently have on hand. But of course James wasn't aware of that. James snatched the map and stared at it in shock. "Perfect way to catch a prey." Bartz added.

"That was his intention, and Chaos' plan, since you guys came to the Final Fantasy." Zidane said, "To get rid of you. To have you submit into darkness. Well, that's not gonna happen! We Heroes of Light are gonna make sure that you and the others don't give in to Darkness or die in it at all!"

"But right now, we gotta bust these women outta here! And we gotta find Firion!" Bartz said.

xXx

Kendall reached an intersection in which he saw two divided dark chambers. He looked around with curiosity like that of a cat, and nervousness embracing him like a shivering blanket.

"Okay guys. We should split up from here." He said, already sounding unsure of himself. He stood there waiting, anticipating the guys' objection to split up and their desperate plea to stick together like glue in this creepy castle they just got themselves into.

…but all he got was silence.

"Guys?" He finally turned around and saw that they were gone. He looked around frantically. They were nowhere in sight. He was all alone.

"Greeeaat!" He sighed exasperatedly, "We've split up… again!"

"Who's there?"

Kendall looked back, startled by the voice of the prisoner. It was Firion.

Of course, Kendall didn't know him, nor did Firion.

"Oh Lordie..." Kendall gasped, noticing Firion being a mess, "What happened to you?"

Firion could only make a slight scoff. After a brief pause, he finally said, "The Emperor... Palamecia."

"Palamecia?" Kendall said, "So is this place his castle? 'cause if it is..."

"I'm just a prisoner." Firion said, "Okay? Not his puppet." Firion then proceeded to grab Kendall by the collar, "Listen. I implore you to leave this place while you still can. Forget about me, but save yourself. This emperor is mad enough that he has captured anyone from Fynn even those who steps into this castle, including the Princess."

"Sarah?"

"No. Hilda. But he's not getting away with this."

"Well, I'm not gonna let him." Kendall pulled out of Firion's grasp, "If he captured the princess and anyone else, I'm gonna save them. I'm gonna save you too."

"What?"

"That's right. I, Kendall, from Big Time Rush, am gonna save everyone in this castle, before that emperor of yours has the chance to trap us. It's all about taking risks."

Firion heard the name Big Time Rush and noticed the crystal necklace around Kendall, and immediately he knew who he was, "Spoken like a true Warrior of Light." he smiled.

"That's me." Kendall smirked, "Now, to see a Warrior of Light in action." He pulled out his sword, "Stand back."

Firion stepped back. Kendall swung his blade at the jailbars, but the metal of the bars blocked his attack, pushing Kendall back. Kendall hopelessly stared.

"This might take a while." Firion said.

xXx

While Kendall and James had come across prisoners and learned of the true nature of this castle, Carlos and Logan, still clueless of the trap they had fallen into are about to figure it out from themselves on their 'treasure hunt'.

"I love treasure hunting…" Carlos said, "When was the last time we ever treasure hunted? Never."

"_Au contraire, mon ami_." Logan briefly said in French, "We did treasure hunted at Griffin's beach house. Remember?"

Carlos grimaced, "Ohh, right. We ended up paying him the whole loot for that sportscar we blew up."

"But this time is different." Logan said, " 'cuz the first treasure we find is gonna be ours to keep!"

"I can finally buy the Jennifers my own beach house!"

"I can finally pay off my medical school tuition!"

"There it is!"

Logan and Carlos both stared. Right in front of them was a chest. Unopened and untouched, quietly reclining at the corner of the dimmed hallway. Their eyes glittered.

"TREASSUUURE!"

Carlos and Logan rushed to the treasure chest, still staring at it in full glory.

"Wait…" Carlos stopped smiling, "We don't have a key."

Logan shrugged, "How about we bust it open. Stand back."

The duo stepped back. Logan raised a finger in the air and chanted, "_Griffundwing Fruubim Bastiondar_! FIRA!"

He pointed at the chest's lock and the lock exploded into spectacular fire dusts. The chest shook up violently and clicked open. Carlos was impressed, "Whoa! Did your fire magic just improved?"

"Tina taught me." Logan said, "It's a level-2 Fire Spell called Fira."

"Coool." Carlos looked back at the half-opened chest, "Now, to open the chest in full glory."

The two friends stepped forward, and slowly lifted the chest lid up…

"It's empty." Logan said. The two friends puzzlingly looked at each other.

"GRAAAAWWWLL!"

The two friends jumped back, startled at what they saw coming out of the chest: a dark gooey-looking creature with flashy yellow eyes like piercing knives and sharp-looking teeth like a shark. They screamed in panic.

Suddenly they heard it again. The Emperor's maniacal laugh, piercing through the thin walls of the castle and surrounding them, like the monsters that were suddenly approaching them in every direction. An army of sting bees, parasites, lizards, praying mantis, death riders, stone golems and centaurs with axes crawling out of the shadows and closing in on the two friends. Then finally, emerging out of the shadows as well to join its creepy comrades was a bee the size of a blimp: a Beelzebub!

"_Pitiful warriors, heed me!" _The Emperor's voice echoed, "_As you have fallen right into my deadly trap, prepare to meet your doom!"_

"I know that voice…" Logan said, suddenly not feeling his feet anymore.

"Who cares?" Carlos barked, "Let's get outta here!"

Carlos ran right toward a centaur. The centaur was ready to swing his axe at him, but Carlos nimbly dodged and ran right past the monster.

"Carlos, wait!" Logan went after his friend, taking his chance to escape just as the monsters lost their focus on him. The monsters finally gave chase, hissing and growling predatorily.

xXx

Back at the massive Palamecia prison, were three girls—a White Mage, a Red Mage, and a Black Mage. The Red Mage was quietly reclining at a far corner of the prison, as if awaiting her fate. The White Mage was lying on the only bed in the cell, staring at the ceiling. The Black Mage, of all the two mages, was actually edgy, walking back and forth with panic on her face.

"Uhh… tell me something will you?" the black mage said, her voice trying to sound cool like her comrades but her expression said otherwise, "what's going to happen to us? Those demons took away my home: all my friends and family are gone. You guys' family and friends are gone as well… what do you think they're going to do to us? Ohh… something bad's gonna happen to us! I just know it! WHYYY!"

"Girl, will you be quiet?" the Red Mage snapped, "We're all in this jail cell for a reason. We're all worshippers of Cosmos and enemies of Chaos, that's that. It's not like they're gonna torture us or anything." She then grinned, "But if they did, I would imagine they will pull out my fingers with tongs, and stamp hot iron bars on my face before slicing them in pieces with a guillotine, and yank my esophagus with—!"

"OH MY GOSH, STOP IT, FATE!" the Black Mage cried out, "Stop talking like that! It's horrible! I can't stand torture!"

"Hey, you wanted to know what torture they'll do to us." Fate smiled snidely.

"Fate, that's enough." The White Mage finally spoke, "Don't freak Valerie like that, and pretend that everything is gonna be allright."

"Oh what do you know, Aria?" Fate said, "Valerie needs to understand that we're gonna be killed anyway. Those two gods have been at war since the beginning of time and we've ended up right in the midst of it. Hence, the prison cell."

"But legend has it that the Warriors of Light are coming to put an end to the fighting." Valerie said, "You gotta at least believe in the Warriors of Light."

Fate rolled her eyes, "Oh please. Warriors of Light. Come on, don't tell me that you actually believe in this baloney. And besides if they did exist, it's not like they're actually gonna come here and rescue all of us!"

Right on cue, James, Bartz and Zidane came in.

"We're here to rescue you!" James announced to the girls.

The girls looked at each other. Aria jumped off the bed, Fate left her corner wall, and Valerie's eyes glimmered at the sight of James with great hope.

"Who are you?" Aria asked the guys.

"I'm Bartz, and this is Zidane and James." Bartz introduced, "Me and Zidane are the Warriors of Cosmos. And James is one of the famed Warrior of Light."

Fate frowned. Zidane noticed her glare and quickly added, "He got proof!" he elbowed James, "Come on, show them your Crystal."

"Uhh…" James removed the Crystal from underneath his shirt and show it to the girls. The girls examined the Crystal.

"Oh my gosh, it really IS you!" Valerie gasped gleefully.

"I don't believe this." Fate shook her head.

Before Fate could said anything else, the girls watched the rest of the prisoners, freed from their jail cells gathering round and chanting, "_Long Live Cosmos! Victory to the Warriors of Light!_" aiding other prisoners out of their jail. Their roaring chant grew louder and victoriously prouder.

"The Warriors of Light are upon us." Aria said, "And helping out the Warriors of Cosmos as well… just like in the legend, it's all coming true. The end of all worlds."

"Yeah, I—!" James cut himself short, his eyes going wide when he heard Aria's last words, "…wait, what?"

"Okay, this is no time for chanting victory just yet." Fate said, "We gotta defeat that con for stuffing us here in the first place! But wait, if you are one of the Warriors of Light, then where are the other warriors?"

James was about to respond when Zidane interrupted, "This is no time to chat, guys!" he said vehemently, "You girls need to get the prisoners out of this place. Me, James and Bartz need to find Firion and the others."

"Wait!" James said, before facing the girls, "while you do that, you guys need to find Tina and her Chocobo Chocolate. They're on our airship. Tell her it's an emergency."

"Tina and Chocolate. Got it." Aria said.

"Great! Now let's go!" Zidane said and the heroes took off, while the girls help out more prisoners.

xXx

Carlos and Logan were still running as fast as their feet could fly, hoping to get the heck out of that cursed hallway out of that cursed castle. The chasing Beelzebub and its army of sting bees, parasites, lizards, praying mantis, death riders, stone golems and centaurs with axes were still hot on their trail.

"Keep running!" Carlos shouted.

"I AM running!" Logan cried in panic.

They looked back at the stampede of monstrosity and their feet suddenly felt like bike wheels going on full speed.

"Where do these creatures come from?" Logan yelled.

"How should I know?" Carlos yelled back, "It was your idea to bust the chest open!"

"Yeah? Well it was your curiosity that got us into this m—EEEEESSSS!"

Logan vanished from the ground!

Carlos panicked!

There was a huge hole the size of a football field, and he was right at the edge!

He quickly pulled himself back and fell backward, still staring at the hole where Logan had fallen into. "Logan…?"

He saw his friend hanging on a loose brick on a wall. But the brick wasn't supportive enough, that it only allowed Logan's fingers to rest on them. Logan looked down, into the pitch of darkness. A pit that bored all the way to the abyss beneath!

"Carlos!" Logan cried out in terror, fingers stiffening to brace himself from falling.

"LOGAN!" Carlos cried out in panic, "Oh my gosh! J-Just hang on!"

"HEELP! I'm slipping!"

_HIIIISSSSS… _The pursuing monsters caught Carlos' attention. He had just forgotten about them! They came charging!

The color on his face vanished at their approaching sights and he couldn't feel his legs. Just as they were closing in, he ducked, eyes firmly closed. His Crystal necklace shone brightly and his body suddenly took a ghostly form: Vanish.

The monsters zoomed past him, some trampled right over him. Yet, he didn't feel a thing. Not even a tackled blow from them. Heck, the monsters didn't even see him, but they went still rogue. But the monsters did saw the football-sized pit and they had jumped over it. They were once again on their way to their pursuit to nowhere and they vanished into a speck and then nothingness, so did the trampling noise.

Carlos' body returned to normal. He looked up and watched the monsters leave until they were completely gone.

He blinked, still baffled by the fact that this mass stampede didn't even landed a scratch on him, "Well that was freaky." He mirthlessly chuckled.

"CARLOS!"

Carlos quickly returned to reality and turned back to Logan, still fingers gripped on the brick.

"Y'know I cannot use magic to teleport or lift myself off this thing right?"

Carlos cocked his head on one side, "I thought you could do that."

"DU-UDE!"

"All right, just hang on! Gotta find something like uhh…" his mind got preoccupied again.

"A rope?" Logan finished for him.

"Yes!" And Carlos was off to find a rope, leaving Logan at the mercy of the pit and the infamous brick holding on to his life.

xXx

Kendall kept swinging at the jailbars, making nothing but faded dents on the metal. He quickly lost his breath. Firion still stood there, watching.

"Don't just stand there and watch." Kendall barked, "Help me out here."

"Wish I could." Firion replied, "I don't have any weapon."

"No magic?"

Firion shook his head. "Only a few."

Kendall still stared at Firion, as if expecting him to do something with his magic at least. Firion sighed, admitting defeat, "All right. Step back."

Kendall stepped back. Firion closed his eyes and stood there silence. A faint blue glow enveloped him and his eyes flew open. He swung his arm up, "Blizzard!"

The metal bars suddenly changed color, turning into a light blue. Crinkling noises shot out of the metal bars as it started freezing. Kendall was impressed. Even Firion was too.

"Huh." He said, "I was so sure that I've lost all my magic since the Emperor captured me."

Kendall smiled, "Well, there we go." He raised his blade up and swung, "YAAAH!"

The blade cut right through the frozen bars and shattered open! Firion was free!

"You did it!" Firion smiled, "Thank you, Warrior uhh…" he hesitated.

"Kendall." Kendall said, "Kendall Knight at your service." Kendall bowed haughtily.

Firion laughed, "Well Kendall. I'm in your debt. Thank you. I'm Firion. Firion of Fynn. Nice to meet you."

"Same here, Firion." Kendall said, "Now, to find your—!"

Firion grabbed Kendall by the shoulders and pushed him down. He quickly followed him down just as three sharp blades sped right where he was standing. Another blade suddenly slammed right on the floor mere inches from Kendall's head.

The two heroes heard the whir-and-click of a crossbow. They glared from where they were lying on the floor, at a couple of metallic boots standing by the doorway.

"Not so fast, traitors." A ruff voice alarmed.

Firion slowly stood up. Kendall remained on the ground, still shaken by that sudden impact. They glared at four crossbow-equipped soldiers, scowling in turn, blocking the exit and cornering them.

"You're not going anywhere."

Kendall's Crystal Necklace shone brightly and Firion's weapons came out of nowhere charging toward the guards: his lance, his sword, his bow and arrows, his knives, and his axe. All of them took a stab at the bandits, killing them instantly. The weapons finally reached Firion who grabbed them. He stood there, astonished by what just happened.

"Your weapons?" Kendall blinked, "I thought you said you didn't _have _any weapons!"

"I didn't." Firion then noticed Kendall's Crystal light fading out. "Your Crystal gave them to me."

"My what?" Kendall stared back at his Crystal, bewildered.

"The coast is clear." Firion said, "We gotta leave before more guards come in." Firion firmly had his grip on his sword, "This Emperor is going down for what he did to Princess Hilda and my friends."

Firion took off running. Kendall stayed behind, staring in awe at his Crystal. He snapped back to reality and noticed Firion was already ahead. "Hey, wait!" He quickly went after him.

xXx

"You're okay?"

Logan nodded to Carlos's response.

"You're good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!"

"Good, 'cause if I pull, you better still be tied up!" Carlos mentioned the rope tied up around Logan. Logan was holding onto the rope for support, while Carlos was holding on the end of it, ready to pull but a bit skeptical that things could go wrong at the same time.

Logan grinned, "Dude, I'm completely tied up. Knot solid. It's not like I'm gonna fall or anything…"

The rope accidentally slipped from Carlos' grasp, and Logan found himself falling again, screaming. Carlos quickly grabbed the rope before it could escape completely from his grip and tugged. Logan came to a complete stop. He looked down and the abyss was still growing below him. Up and he only saw Carlos as a speck figure. Carlos mirthlessly chuckled, relieved that he was able to stop that moment.

"My bad…" he shouted, his voice only an echo to Logan's ears.

"Just pull up, man!" Logan screamed in panic, the joke no longer in his mind. He was practically hyperventilating

Carlos tugged on the rope, pulling Logan with all of his might. Logan watched himself getting closer and closer to the surface. The dark abyss that was growing over him seemed to be fading into just a speck as he finally reached plane. He was safe again!

"Aw man, Carlos! Thank you!" He broke down into tears of joy and tightly hugged his friend, "Thank you so much! I almost died in there! My life was like flashing!"

"Dude, it's okay…" Carlos gently patted on his back. "It's all over. We're safe now."

BzzzZZZZTT!

The guys turned around at the buzzing and saw the Beezlebub charging at them.

"UWWWAAAAAAAHHHH!"

The Beezlebub suddenly felt a strong kick in its squishy head and got sent to a far away wall right behind the guys. The guys watched the large fly vanish into the darkness and turned their attention back to the person who just knocked it out.

"New girl?" they gasped.

The guys never saw her but she was beautiful, displaying bright ocean blue eyes with long wavy red velvet hair that flowed down her pale lighted skin. She sported a violet-laced short sleeved top with a matching flowing skirt that accompanies her long leather jacket. She carried out two guns, two of them tugged to her holsters attached around her hip and the last one around her right ankle. Chains were there, coursing her tucked-in guns and around her body.

She landed on her feet and posed for combat, facing the guys. "How you doin'?" she spoke a quiet voice, sounding like Joey Tribbiani.

BzzzZZZZTT!

The guys turned around again and watched the Beezlebub returning full-combat-mode! This time its focus was on the new girl!

The girl pulled out her guns, twirled them and pointed. The guys quickly noticed her guns pointing at them!

"Duck." She said.

They ducked, just as the girl started shooting mercilessly at the creature in a flurry of combos, then finished by morphing her two guns together and shot out a huge orb at the bee, Dante's-Million-Dollar-Hyper-Combo-style! The orb struck the bee flying into the far wall once more. This time the guys heard a splat! The bee lost all of its life goo inside, splattered all over the wall.

They faced the girl again who tugged her guns back in place.

"New _feisty _girl!" Carlos and Logan bumped fists, grinning from ear to ear, "Nice!"

"Name's Reina. So you're the Warriors of Light?" Reina asked.

"The one and only." Logan said.

"Yeah, I've seen better." She said, walking right past them. Before they could even speak, she said, "Come."

xXx

James, Bartz and Zidane entered a large hallway.

"Man, this castle is way bigger than Gustavo's Mansion." James said.

"Who's Gustavo?" Bartz and Zidane asked.

"Is he a Warrior too?" Zidane asked.

James laughed out loud, "No!"

They cut through a corner, where they ran into Reina, Carlos, and Logan.

"James!" the guys said.

"Guys!" James said gleefully, "You're all right!"

"Goodie. The gang's here." Reina said, almost monotone.

"Is Kendall with you?" Carlos asked James.

"I was about to ask you the same question."

The guys turned frantic.

_HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!_

The Emperor's voice echoed through the walls again.

"That voice again…" Logan shuddered.

"He could be in the Throne Room with the Emperor!" Bartz said alarmingly.

"We gotta find him!" Carlos declared, "Come on!"

And the group was off.

xXx

"Emperor!"

The Emperor turned on his heels to face his enemies, Kendall and Firion. Firion readied his weapon. Kendall just stood there, baffled. He knew this guy!

"You." He gasped, "You're the guy who got me and my friends in trouble with those freakish imps of yours back at Matoya's Cave, are you? You didn't help us. You wanted to hurt us!"

"What?" Firion was shocked to hear this.

Palamecia smiled, "Wow. Knew you were pretty but didn't know you were smart."

"It's James who's pretty but not really smart… but that's not the point here!"

"Emperor!" Firion angrily said, "How dare you trying to hurt a Warrior of Light. How dare you trying to interfere in their destinies and turn this battle in your dark god's favor!"

"What?" Kendall blinked.

"Oh-Hoh!" The Emperor laughed at Kendall's stunned expression, "Still clueless as ever, huh? Still don't know your true mission?"

"Who are you to tell us of our true mission, you pink… violet… armored… blemishing freak of nature?" Kendall snapped back, "Me and my friends are gonna defeat Garland, you, and save the world. And then we go back home."

The Emperor laughed hysterically while Firion had his eyes on the floor, distraught from Kendall's statement. Not all of that was true.

"You really _are_ clueless, Kendall Knight." The Emperor said, "How about I give you a hint?"

"Emperor!" Firion interrupted, "Don't! This isn't the time!"

"What isn't the time?" Kendall asked Firion curiously.

The Emperor was silent for a moment before his glare turned cold.

"He's talking about your Crystal." The Emperor revealed, "It has powers beyond imagining. And I want you to hand it over to me."

"Don't listen to that creep, Kendall!" Firion warned, "He just wants its power to manipulate you into the forces of Darkness… or worse."

The Emperor clapped his hands, almost mockingly, "Bravo, Firion. A big star for the big dreamer of wild roses. Speaking of wild roses, do you know what has happened to your beloved princess?" The Emperor quickly ran his finger over his throat just to make a point before laughing maniacally. Firion's eyes turned cold at his gesture.

"Devil's Cur." He cursed, "I swear I'm gonna—!" Firion charged toward the Emperor.

"Firion!" Kendall warned.

Firion got close to the enemy when the Emperor gestured and a sigil drew underneath Firion, detonating a blast in response to his footsteps, sending him off flying to the ground, rolled up and came to a complete stop. Kendall saw Firion was hurt.

The Emperor laughed. Kendall turned to the Emperor, appalled. "You…"

"Just hand over the Crystal Necklace, or…" the Emperor made a quick wave of the hand over his staff to display images of James, Carlos and Logan running toward the throne room alongside Bartz, Zidane, and Reina.

"…your friends pay the price."

Kendall stood still.

"In fact, they are coming this way as we speak. Coming to meet their dooms." The Emperor laughed.

"Kendall!"

Kendall heard James. He turned around and watched the group coming in.

"GUYS, DON'T!" he yelled out frantically, "IT'S A—!"

The floor suddenly crumbled beneath the guys and they fell right into the abyss; their screaming slowly faded into the darkness.

"…trap." Kendall finished, the urgency in his tone of voice no more.

The Emperor laughed, catching Kendall's attention. It took the young warrior to notice that he was now alone. Firion has apparently fallen into the abyss as well. Kendall angrily turned to the Emperor "What did you do to my friends?"

"Take a look." The Emperor waved his arms up and a translucent picture ripped through the thin air to reveal the guys trapped in the middle of the coliseum.

"What's going on?" Zidane muttered, everyone peering across their surroundings. All the gates around them shifted and out came monster. The same type of monsters Firion faced earlier. Firion slowly stood on his feet, waking up from his unconsciousness to notice the monsters. Carlos, Bartz, and Logan helped him up.

"The Emperor's…" he groaned, remembering his turmoil "…his sick tournament again…"

"It _was _a trap!" Carlos panicked.

"Everyone draw your weapons!" Firion ordered, and everyone did as told.

"Firion, are you sure you can fight?" Bartz asked him with concern.

"…till the death." Firion replied.

Reina got her guns ready. Bartz and Zidane raised their weapons as well. James, Carlos and Logan pulled out their weapons also.

"But I don't wanna fight till the death…" Logan muttered.

The group huddled together, back-to-back, facing the monsters fast approaching.

"In less than five minutes," The Emperor informed a distraught Kendall, "all of your so-called 'buds' will be killed by my army of Underworldly monsters. Face it, Kendall. You only have two choices: either you give me the Crystal, or you watch your friends die."

Kendall couldn't stop watching his friends in trouble, and was felt helpless to help them out.

xXx

Back outside the Castle, where the airship had boarded, the last of the mass prisoners have finally made their escape via the large dark entryway with the raised portcullis. They had gathered around, chatting and sharing their worries about the warriors whom they have left behind for the sake of their safety, and had no other way to repay them for their favor, or help them out. One thing for sure: their disliking for the Emperor and Chaos had overgrown.

"I'm worried about the Warrior of Light who helped us." Valerie said.

"You mean James?" Aria asked.

"He did help us out, along with Bartz and Zidane." Valerie said, "They haven't found their friends yet too." She suddenly gasped, "You don't think that this evil Emperor has captured them did you? Oh my gosh! What if he did capture them! They are doomed! They're gonna get tortured forever!"

"WHAT?"

Everyone turned around at a not-so-familiar voice from the airship's bridge. It was Tina. Her eyes looked like they were gonna come out of their socket any second. Chocolate's eyes were twice the size.

"What did you say about James and his friends being captured by 'this evil Emperor'?"

Valerie hesitated, "Err… well, not to really alarm you… it's just that…"

Tina leapt off the bridge and frantically approached the three girls, grabbing Valerie by the shoulders with sheer force and shaking her like crazy. "TELL ME WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT JAMES AND HIS FRIENDS?"

"Stop it! Please!" Valerie cried out, "You're makin' me dizzy!"

"You must be Tina and Chocolate." Aria said.

"How much of that did you hear?" Fate curiously asked.

Tina didn't respond. She just took off into the dark entryway with Chocolate following behind, squeezing through the crowd of prisoners, "Excuse me! Pardon me! Hey! I got a bunch of cute guys to save here! So get out of my way!"

"Hey, wait up! We'll help you!" Aria cried out to Tina and gave chase. Fate and Valerie followed behind. "We will?" Fate said, bitterly unsure. "We will?" Valerie said, frantically unwilling to do so.

xXx

"Don't worry about us Kendall!" James called out to his friend.

"We can handle this!" Carlos said.

"Deal with that guy for us Kendall!" Logan advised, "We got this!"

"For the future!" Firion raised a battle shout and the warriors charged toward the monsters back in the coliseum and battled.

Kendall, after a brief moment watching his friends valiantly fighting for their lives, angrily turned to face the Emperor, "Coward!" he spat, "You're ten times as worse as Gustavo. Afraid of facing big challenges."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" The Emperor said smugly.

"You trap my friends, you threaten me with their lives just so that I will give up my Crystal to _you_?" he clutched the Crystal tightly around his neck, eyes narrowed, brows furrowed, "Well, guess what? That makes you a coward. And a coward is afraid of facing a bigger challenge than he is." He pulled out his sword and posed for combat, "Like me."

"Oh?"

"You know that my friends and I will defeat you and every one of your accomplices in your so-called war and you're just afraid of facing that fact in a real bloody combat, are you?"

"_You _want to challenge _me_, the Almighty Emperor of Palamecia?" The Emperor cackled, "Oh, how pathetic can you be?"

"Are you chicken?"

The Emperor's eyes narrowed. Kendall blinked once and the Emperor was gone.

"Well then bring it on." The Emperor whispered behind him, startling him. Before Kendall could even turn around, the Emperor swept his staff across Kendall, sending him flying right through a statue.

"Guuwaaah!" The Emperor came air-dashing at Kendall and swung his staff down. Kendall raised his sword up, blocking the attack and pushed the Emperor backward with his two feet. He quickly climbed up to his feet and swung across. The Emperor blocked with his staff. He swung again. The Emperor blocked again. Again. Again. Again. Again…

"Really slow… is that your best shot? Prepare to fall!" The Emperor jumped back, then charged his Dynamite attack, blasting Kendall to a wall rush. But before Kendall could hit the wall he recovered the attack in midair.

"It's you who's slow… Hockey Swing!" Kendall air-dashed toward the Emperor, sword pointing. One strike and then he followed with a slam, similar to Cloud's Braver, sending his opponent flying. The Emperor recovered in midair again. Kendall charged toward him again.

"Suffer." The Emperor casted his Light Crest attack, a field of magic shot out projectiles as Kendall closed in, sending him far to the ground. Just as Kendall was about to climb back on his feet, the Emperor formed his Thunder Crest on the ground, its energy began to draw Kendall into the trap like a magnet. Kendall struggled, trying to break from its attractive force, but the more he struggled, the faster the crest pulled him. The Emperor laughed.

Meanwhile, more monsters jumped on their trapped preys. A behemoth leapt and swung. Firion blocked with his Shield Bash then attacked the creature. He then proceeded to pull farther enemies close with his knife rope and delivered his Double Trouble attack on them. Bartz and Zidane delivered teamed-up combos on more creatures. Reina was in a shooting frenzy, especially with the air-based creatures. James, Carlos and Logan who were new to all of this fighting could only go on defense. Occasionally, Bartz, Zidane and Firion would help the guys out whenever they were in trouble.

But the more monsters they could defeat, the more monsters came out.

"They're just so many of them!" James complained.

"We gotta do something!" Logan then cried out, "ANYTHING!" And right in response to his plea, his Crystal Necklace shone brightly and the whole coliseum turned dark. The monsters stopped to look up. So did the heroes. Thunder was heard crumbling and right before their eyes; lightning strikes came from out of nowhere drumming on the ground like earthquake, striking the monsters into ashes. The monsters were no more.

"Wh…what happened?" Zidane asked.

"Magic." Reina said.

"Logan… your Necklace." James noticed Logan's Crystal necklace fading its light back to normal. Logan was stunned.

"Yet, another Warrior of Light miracle." Firion said.

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" The Emperor's voice echoed, catching everyone's attention. They couldn't see what was happening but they could sense Kendall was in trouble by his desperate cry of help.

"Kendall!" they shouted.

"Heavens… Grrraaaww…!" The Emperor cried out, his staff was swirling above his head, a sigil was drawing underneath his floating feet, and the whole castle was turning as dark as the midnight clear.

"The Emperor! He's casting out his deadly attack! Starfall!" Firion screamed in terror, "Kendall could die if we don't help him!"

"WHAAT?" everyone screamed, and began crying out for him to escape.

But Kendall was anywhere near safety. The Thunder Crest was still drawing him in like a magnet, and Kendall was losing energy fast.

"…GRAAAAWWL… uGWAAHAAHAAHAAHAA! Prepare to meet your doom, Kendall Knight!"

It was at the moment when the Emperor was about to successfully cast his full-charged Starfall, that the shattering sound of window glasses rang behind him. Sharp pieces showered behind him, catching his attention. His staff stopped glowing. The whole castle seized its ominous darkness. The appalled look on the Emperor's face was fixed on Tina and Chocolate, valiantly coming right out of the window and into the throne room!

Tina jumped off Chocolate, and Chocolate charged on the Emperor, tackling him right to a wall and knocking him unconscious. The Thunder Crest vanished, and Kendall quickly regained his force again.

Kendall let out a huge sigh of relief before facing Tina with a smile, "That was close, thanks, Tin—!"

Tina ran past Kendall without saying a single word and went to the Emperor. She pointed her staff at him threateningly, eyes narrowed. The Emperor's eyes flickered open, taking notice of the girl who was towering over him and pointing her pathetic staff at him as if it was a lance. He smirked before he faded out of the throne room. Tina briefly stood still with that pose.

"Err… what's going on?" Carlos asked curiously. The whole gang were still in that coliseum, twenty feet down from the throne room and unable to see or hear anything.

"How should we know?" James replied, "We can't see anything."

"Or hear anything either. Just silence." Logan said.

The three girls entered the throne room as well. Valerie was ahead of the group. "Did we came too late?" she asked.

"Look out!" Fate and Aria cried out to their friend.

Valerie stopped short, noticing the huge hole the Emperor just made earlier to trap the others in. She quickly backed away! She had almost fallen in there! "Aw, man! That was close! Thank you guys!"

The girls noticed Tina, still frozen in that pose.

"Did we miss anything?" Fate cockily asked, "What did we miss?"

Finally Tina put away her weapon and approached Kendall. Kendall chided, "You're mad at me are you? I know you're mad at—!"

"Don't make me slap you."

"Ok."

"Damn it Kendall Knight! I cannot believe you made me rescue you again! Twice!" Tina snapped, "I specifically told you NOT to break into this Mt. Palamecia and what did you do? You…"

"…broke into Mt. Palamecia." Kendall said, just as Tina was finishing that sentence also. "Look, I'm sorry all right?" Kendall said, "But, when you get immersed into a huge world like Final Fantasy with so many places to go, people to see, evil to beat up and drive crazy, you just can't help yourself."

Tina sighed. She _too_ can't help herself whenever she travels around the Final Fantasy worlds with places to explore and people to see and enemies to beat also. Talk about having so much in common, she thought.

She rolled her eyes, admitting defeat and mumbling, "I guess you're right…" And Kendall smiled back.

Tina then looked around, noticing something was missing. "…where are the guys?"

"Down here…" came their voice from under the huge hole.

Tina, Chocolate, Kendall, Aria, Fate, and Valerie all gathered around the hole to see the guys and Reina waving back at them.

"Oh hello." Valerie giggled, waving, "I guess there was more of you then."

"Guess so." Aria said, smiling.

"Whoopee!" Fate said, eyeballing all of the guys under the coliseum with lust, "And they're all sizzling hawt!"

The guys, especially James, grinned from ear to ear.

"…especially this one." She pointed at Firion.

"Me?" Firion pointed at himself, and Fate nodded.

James frowned angrily. But Bartz, Zidane, Carlos and Logan found it amusing. "Ooohh…"

_[UH-OH! UHOH! OHHHH!]_

"Gee…" Firion scratched his head, grinning nervously, "I dunno what to say?"

"How about don't steal my spotlight next time, huh?" James said to Firion bitterly.

Firion just shrugged, "Sorry…?"

xXx

* * *

**On the Next Episode of _Big Time Final Fantasy_**

_A mercenary skilled with multiple weapons has been summoned by Cosmos._

_But he has his mind set on the Warriors of Light!_

"WHAT?" the guys cried out.

"They must be eliminated." Axel Joedo said to Lightning, "No matter what you do, you cannot stop me."

"Who are you?" Kendall said to Axel. Axel quickly holds him at swordpoint, "Does it matter?"

_Just what the heck is he planning?_

"Something's wrong." Logan said to Carlos.

"What is?" Carlos replied with a confused look.

"AAAGGGH!" Axel attacks the guys with his weapons. The guys scream in panic.

_Axel Joedo from Kingdom Hearts III Online HD guest star. No really._

"Bet'cha weren't expecting that huh?" Axel said.

**…on our next _Big Time Final Fantasy_ episode**

**~Big Time Manikins~**

* * *

**Author's Note: **Original Characters are still invited. If you want to submit yours, feel free anytime. But only for a limited time. OCs must be a character from the Final Fantasy world. More info in the Cast of Characters chapter.


	5. Ep3: Big Time Manikins

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Ep.3: __Big Time Manikins__**-**_

* * *

-Kendall, James, and Logan were caught between a rock and a hard place. That was because they were trapped! Inside a wooden cage tied up and reeled on by a rope held onto the clutches of an unknown warrior.

The warrior was lean, athletic-build; dark hair with silver bangs, but his eyes appeared to be vacant and silver-colored as if possessed. He wore a large dark-blue trenchcoat over a black t-shirt, with matching cargo pants and what looked like pairs of Nike sneakers.

The cage was hanging in midair on high altitude. A mix of panic and anger wrestled through the minds of the three guys right now. But just as the warrior let the rope slipped an inch off his hands and the cage came five feet down to bottomless pit, the guys' panics came back anew.

"No, please, don't!" They cried out frantically at the warrior. But he was not responsive, his eyes were still vacant.

"Give it up already." They heard a voice. A very familiar voice. A voice they immediately knew which it belonged to. They saw him, casually walking toward the edge of the airship and watched them with darkness in his now-gleaming silver eyes…

Carlos!

"Axel is not himself right now," He said coldly, mentioning the warrior that was holding on the rope, "So don't bother persuade him to save you. But I gotta give you props for almost busting off my plan up there." He then gave a quick glance at Tina and Chocolate, "Isn't that right, Tina?"

Tina was chained up to Chocolate by heavy chains and a large metal ball. Her mouth was taped shut to prevent her from casting any spells, but only allowed her muted mumblings. Chocolate weakly cried.

"Carlos, snap out of it man! This isn't you!" Logan begged.

"Yeah, man! You don't wanna do this!" James pleaded.

"You want to be a hero, not a villain!" Kendall explained, "Villains never prosper!"

"D-don't tell him that! He's turning INTO a villain!" James angrily said to Kendall.

"Well, he gotta snap out of it!"

"Guys, guys! Is that a good time right now to argue?" Logan exclaimed.

"Y'know…" Carlos hesitated, "Kendall may be right. About villains never prospering…" his eyes turned colder, "But the prophecy did say that one of us will betray the group. And I am such betrayer. Now if you could just hand over the Crystals, and y'all will be on your way…" He reached his hand out to the guys and quickly retreat it; and the Crystals around the guys' necklaces snapped off their necks and floated toward Carlos at will. The guys watched in amazement.

"Wait… since when can you do magic?" James asked.

"A long, long time." Carlos disclosed, then leaned toward the caged guys and whispered evilly, "I'm not who you thought I was." He then turned back and started walking away, "Axel, take them out." He ordered.

"Yes, Master." Axel mumbled, his hands coming loose to the rope and the guys screaming fearfully, "No! No! No! No! No!"

Axel let go off the rope and the cage flew down into oblivion, the guys' screams drowned into the chilly sky altitude.

xXx

**_36 hours earlier…_**

"WHAAAAA-OOOOHHHH!"

"KWAAAAARRRRK!"

Everyone on the Big Time Airship Sky Deck watched Carlos and Chocolate shooting into the air, airborne, yelling in glee. Chocolate was crying out in terror "NYOOH! NYOOH! NYOOH! NYOOHHH!"

"Ohhh yeeaaaah!" Carlos hooted. The duo were about to crash land at the nearby table where Aria, Fate, Valerie, James and Logan were sitting. James and the girls took off running. Logan shook his head and he too was yelling, "No, no, no!"

CRASH-OOWW!

The table flew into pieces, so did Logan's diorama of the Palm Woods, which he made from scratch and a little bit of magic.

"Dang it, Carlos! Look at what you did!" Logan complained, "Now I'm gonna have to make that diorama of the Palm Woods all over again. Do you know how long it took me to make this?"

Cheerful Carlos jumped off the unconscious Chocobo and gave his helmet a good pat, "Nope. And I don't care." He smiled, "Chocolate and I are going for a nice round of Choco-Blast across the airship, right Chocolate?"

"Ohh no…" Chocolate uttered in pain.

"Does Tina know about this?" James asked, expecting the white mage to come in, screaming for her Chocobo pal.

Before Carlos could answer, his Crystal necklace emitted a faint purplish glow.

"Ooh!" he said in awe of the light, "Look at this!"

The Crystal attracted everyone on the airship.

"Didn't it glow before?" Logan wondered. The last time his necklace glowed was at Palamecia Castle.

"Wait. Carlos, your Crystal is a Fire Crystal right?" Aria asked him and he nodded.

"It's not supposed to glow like this." Valerie said before facing Logan, James, and Kendall, "Let me see your crystals."

And they all did. Each of them also emitted the same faint purplish glow.

"Just as we fear." Fate said.

"Uhh… what's up?" Kendall asked, "Why the sudden frightening look on your faces?"

"Your crystals are reacting to a change in atmosphere." Tina replied before taking notice of the cloudy skies blending into a thick fog, "We're entering a thick mist." She then explained, "Mist is a source of magic in this Final Fantasy multiverse, and can be extracted by many mages for magical purposes. But mist can also affect the mind. And anyone exposed to it for a long period of time can go feral."

"Feral?" the guys said together.

"It means that any one of us can turn dark if we're not careful." Fate explained.

"Even those with the purest of hearts." Aria added, "Even people as cheerful as Carlos, or as dramatic as Valerie, can go into the dark side."

"But I don't wanna go to the dark side!" Valerie whined.

"So what do we do?" James asked.

"We must head down the Airship's Den." Tina said, "We'll be safe there…" it was then that she noticed Chocolate and gasped, "Wh-wh-wh-what the heck happened to Chocolate?"

"…groans…" Chocolate mumbled in pain.

All eyes turned to Carlos who nervously shrugged, "Maybe it's the mist?"

xXx

Lightning and Kain were all alone in the Sanctuary. They stood there, not saying a word to each other. That's because they've talked already, and they have already wasted their breath on pointless topics like family and friends from back home. They were just there, waiting impatiently for this new addition summoned by Cosmos not long ago to just show up already.

Finally they heard footsteps splashing on the wet ground and they turned around. They saw a young man, about 17 years old, wearing a black T-shirt, dark blue long cargo pants, and Nike shoes, and sported a dark-blue Org XI robe underneath. It was pretty much the same guy we saw earlier in the story before the 36 hours early span.

He appeared to be one of those carefree joker dudes who most of the time doesn't take things seriously. And Lightning and Kain hated these kinds.

But at that very moment, he wasn't being cheerful. He was being serious. The frowning look on his face said it all. There was something serious in his mind he felt he had to share to the two comrades he was meeting with. And he had to share it fast.

Of course, that didn't stop Lightning from snapping at him, "There you are you slime." She said bitterly, "Been a week since you were summoned by Cosmos, and it's now that you're reaching Sanctuary?"

"If you're looking for the goddess," Kain spoke, "she's not here."

"Oh, I don't care about Cosmos." The young man said, "I care about these four guys. Y'know, the ones whose crystals brought you all back to life?"

Lightning and Kain briefly stared at each other. It took the duo a good amount of time to figure out how they came about, breathing and walking again, when they were supposed to be wanning spirits with no feelings whatsoever. See, Lightning and Kain were ones of the few warriors who lost their lives after the 12th Cycle of War. And Cosmos had been unable to revive them, unlike her other 10 Warriors. But in a sudden twist of fate, they were here, unaware of how they returned back to life.

It was then that they met Cosmos again at Sanctuary. And she had revealed to them the arrival of the Four Warriors of Light equipped with the Four Crystals of Light, essential keys to stopping the war once and for all, by turning one god in favor over the other god for generations to come. These warriors nicknamed themselves Big Time Rush, Cosmos told them. And she furthermore explained that it was their Crystal powers that have brought them back to life, less to their knowledge.

"You mean… these Big Time Rush guys?" Lightning recalled.

"What about them?" Kain asked.

The young man chuckled wirily, "What about them?" he said, "They're not who we think they are. They could jeopardize the Prophecy before it even happens."

"YOU will jeopardize the Prophecy with that thick head of yours." Lightning said.

"They must be eliminated." He snapped back at Lightning, "At all costs. I'm breaking into their airship. So no matter what you do, you cannot stop me."

Lightning raised her arms in defeat. Kain still stood there with his arms crossed.

"I'm sorry but that's the way it has to be." He then looked away, facing the readers, "I, Axel Joedo, will set things right." He narrowed his eyes, "even if it costs me."

The young man, Axel, finally took off, leaving Lightning and Kain bewildered.

"Who was he talking to?" Lightning grumbled, "Himself or his conscience?"

"Doesn't matter." Kain replied, "But something's fishy. This Axel guy wouldn't hurt a fly. So why is he so desperate to hurt four innocent boys destined for the fate of the worlds?"

Lightning simply rubbed her chin in thought.

xXx

Back in the Big Time airship, at the Airship's Den,

"It's too bad Firion, Bartz, and Zidane couldn't be with us." Kendall mentioned the trio, who were recently involved in the invasion of Castle Palamecia—or rather involved in the trap the Emperor had set up for them in the castle, in an attempt to drag the four Warriors down to oblivion. In the end, the Emperor was defeated and his prisoners were freed. That's where they met the three mage girls Aria, Fate and Valerie; and the gunner Reina.

"That's because they couldn't risk jeopardizing the Prophecy." Tina explained, "Not just yet."

"Okay. What is with this Prophecy?" Carlos asked, "Can you at least tell us?"

"Even if I could." Tina shook her head, "I can't. Only the right person must reveal it to you. I don't want to…"

"…jeopardize the Prophecy." Everyone said in unison and the guys sighed in disappointment.

"I guess we can wait a bit longer." Logan said.

"So while we wait," James faced the rest of the girl company, "What's your story, ladies?"

The girls solemnly looked at each other then glared with their eyes on the floor.

"It's our family." Aria said, "We've lost them to Chaos. I mean… my brother and father went dark and had captured my mother to serve that demon. Only problem is… I don't know if she's even still alive…"

"My whole clan was captured by Chaos too." Fate added, "Even my family. That is… I have to find and rescue them before it's too late."

"My home…" Valerie added, "…my beautiful village of Mysidia… was burnt down by Chaos. All of my family… my friends… my mommy… my brother… my…" Valerie quietly sobbed. The pain of losing everything was just too great.

The guys went to console the girls.

"Hey, it's okay…" Logan said to Valerie, "I'm sorry about your loss."

Valerie wiped a tear off, "Thank you… you're too kind… it's just… I'm hoping that my father didn't get killed also. See, he left home on a voyage to a faraway land before the tragedy… and I pray every day to Cosmos that I get to find him safe and sound."

"We'll find your father, Valerie." Kendall declared, "We'll find your family, everyone. We, Big Time Rush, never gave up on Hockey and singing, and we won't give up on rescuing people in need."

And the boys cheered in agreement. The girls smiled, reassured.

"And uh…" Tina hesitated, pointing at Reina, "…what's _your_ story?"

Reina simply shrugged, "No story." She said, "Just travelin'. Thought I'd get into the action." She then pulled out her guns and posed with them, "Wham-Pow!" she then said in a deep voice, "I like adventures."

"Ohh-kay." Kendall said, "We'll keep that in mind."

xXx

The midnight sky watched over the Big Time Airship, still hovering midair between endless atmosphere and high altitude. The thick mists still churned above like a blending smoothie of fog. It was quiet and everyone had retired to their cabins. And there were enough cabins for everyone to sleep in, free from unnecessary stumbling and snoring from comrades nearby. All we could hear right now was the whistling of the wind. But even the wind had managed to keep its noise on its down low, so not to disturb those who were counting sheep till they went adrift.

But that quiet serene night suddenly got broken by yet another whistling tone. But this one came out in a fade-in transition as a hushed shrill up until it became a strident shriek. A bright light followed the sound in the form of a crest, lighting up the Sky Deck and the entire sky like an afternoon's sun just came out of the blue in the middle of midnight. Then an apparition was seen, standing over that crest. After about five seconds, the light quickly faded back, and the night returned anew. The apparition vanished, only to be replaced by the mysterious stealthy warrior Axel.

He looked around, surprised to see that he had successfully penetrated the airship despite all that noise his Teleport magick did.

He giggled giddily, "Sweet!"

Of course he wasn't aware that his Teleport Magick noise had awakened Carlos who was in his cabin. Carlos shuffled to seat on his bed and curiously looked out the window. He blinked.

Axel, still on the Sky Deck, looked around. Everything was deserted. "Okay." He said, relieved to see the coast was still clear, "Onto Operation Stop the Impostors." He then faced the readers, "I made that up. So don't take credit for it now." He scampered off, and right as he turned down a corner, Carlos appeared on deck. He looked around again and saw there was nobody.

"Hellooo?" he shouted.

No answer.

"Huh." He blinked, "I could have sworn I heard something."

The wind now began to howler, catching Carlos' attention up. He noticed the mists were getting thicker and he turned nervous. He quickly scampered away.

xXx

The next day followed, and everyone was seen in the massive Sky Saloon. Everyone except Tina and Chocolate. But where they were at this moment wasn't really important. What's important is how huge that Sky Saloon was. One would say that the Sky Saloon was kinda like a cruiseship Atrium, with large fancy alcoves at various corner of the room, enough for a family of thirteen to hang out there.

But the Sky Saloon looked quite deserted. With four guys, five girls, and a Chocobo currently occupying the ship, it was really quite like an eerie atrium than a lively place to be… and yet, no one even bothered to notice that an intruder had broken into the airship… everyone except Carlos, who had his suspicion. But then again, on the day that followed, he had dismissed those suspicions.

Right now, the gang was at an alcove, looking out a top-to-bottom window and watching the sky swirling more of its thick eerie mists.

"There!" Logan placed the last Palm tree on his diorama, "All finished with my diorama of the Palm Woods! What do you think?" he showed his finished masterpiece to the group.

"I think it's tacky." Fate said.

Logan's jaws dropped.

"She was just kiddin'!" Valerie quickly said to Logan. "I think it's beautiful."

"So this used to be your home?" Aria asked.

"Yeah…" Logan sighed, "…and was the beginning of our Hollywood dream."

"Yeah…" the guys all agreed, reminiscing the first time they entered the Palm Woods. Boy, what a fantastic experience it was. Not so fantastic for their music producer Gustavo, but it was for them.

"I have a dream!" Fate lit up.

"Yeah? What is it?" Kendall asked.

"To be the greatest cook ever!"

"Ohh…" the boys exclaimed. The girls however appeared tense.

"I can make some mean squid chili!" Fate said, grinning, "It's like a fiesta to the mouth. Would you guys like some?"

The guys then looked at each other, and took off running.

The girls squealed, trying to stop the guys from fleeing, but they were already off the Sky Saloon. They slowly turned to face Fate, who blinked at them as if waiting for their answer.

"Uhh… Fate." Aria grimaced at her friend, "don't you think you have cooked enough food for the entire time we've traveled together?"

"Yeah!" Valerie said, "Why not pass the spatula to gee… I dunno… someone with more experience?"

Aria struck Valerie with her elbow. Hard. Valerie hissed in pain, "Ow!"

"Oh, come on girls." Fate broadly smiled, "Don't tell me you don't like my cooking, when you did tell me you liked it countless times."

"…yeah… but it's squid." Valerie grimaced. Aria elbowed her again. "OW!" then she quickly said, "… I mean, it's delicious… but we don't wanna lose flavor." She growled at Aria, "… and stop elbowing me, it hurts!"

"No worries." Fate smiled again, before pointing in front of her. Smoke exploded and quickly cleared up to reveal a green bottle, "I can make a new flavor: Gysahl Greens!"

"That's for Chocobos!" Aria said.

"So?"

xXx

The guys were on the Sky Deck, once again having a game of Hockey. The mists were getting thicker, and the skies have turned into fog due to the swirly presence. But that didn't stop them from having all the fun, smashing and bashing at each other for a puck the size of a biscuit. That was because it was a biscuit!

And it wasn't any ordinary hockey. It was a magical hockey. For whenever one went on the offense, the defending player's Crystal would glimmer to create a force field, blasting the offender sky high. Or when one raised his hockey stick, their Crystal would charge up their swing for them and BAM! They would either score a powerful goal, or send their opponents flying.

Either way it was a good game. And it lasted for a short amount of time. Logan conjured up four bottles of water and the guys all took their drinks, quenching their thirst and reclaiming their energy.

"Whoa! That was fun!" James said.

"Sure was." Kendall replied.

"Hey, did you guys hear a noise last night?" Logan asked.

The guys all looked surprised. "Oh yeah!" they said together.

"I thought I was dreaming." James said, "But yeah, I did hear a noise."

"Sounded like a wheezing and then there were footsteps…" Kendall described the noise.

"What do you think Carlos?" James asked, but Carlos was staring blankly into space.

"Uhh… hello?" Logan asked, "Earth to Carlos?"

"Hmm?" Carlos looked up.

"You're okay bud?" Kendall asked.

"Yeah." He said, "Why wouldn't I be?"

James shrugged, "No reason. We were talking about that noise we heard from last night."

"Oh, you mean that light?" Carlos asked.

Kendall blinked, "What light?"

Carlos shrugged, "There was a bright light here on this deck." he then smiled, "I knew that, 'cuz I checked outside."

"WHAT?" the guys exclaimed.

Carlos blinked, not smiling anymore, "Did I say something wrong?"

"Whoa, dude! You weren't supposed to be outside because of the thick mists." James reminded.

"You could've turned evil." Kendall added.

Carlos looked around, "Uh… aren't _we _outside?"

The guys paused. They looked around, before staring up at the swirly thick mists.

"Oh, snap! We ARE outside!" Logan screamed, and the guys took off running in haste. Carlos however stayed behind. A sinister smile appeared on his lips and he quietly followed his comrades.

Not far from the Sky Deck, but by the Bridge, Axel was snoozing at the corner. Kain appeared before him and with his foot gave him a nudge.

"Hey… wake up." He said.

Axel's eyes flew open and his body quickly rose up from the corner, "I'm up! I'm up!"

Kain's eyes narrowed under that dragoon mask, "Already forgotten your mission?"

Axel snorted, "No." he smirked, "Why would I forget my mission?"

"Because you were sleeping." Kain replied, "And whenever you sleep, you forget things."

Axel's jaws dropped, "Who told you that?"

"Your dream." Kain said, "You were dreaming about how you wish you were the greatest Keyblade Master in the world. And by the way, who is Kami and what the hell is a Keyblade?"

"None of your business." Axel shot up to his feet, "All I know is that my dreams are private and you invaded it."

"You were talking in your sleep." Kain said.

"Well, how would you feel if I ripped off that dragoon mask of yours just to see your face? How would you feel?" Axel grimaced.

"I won't feel a thing."

"Really?" Axel blinked, " 'cause you're kinda hot." He stopped smiling and quickly cleared his throat, "I mean, hot for a warrior… not the other way a… okay." He quickly walked away.

xXx

Axel sneaked into a runway to the right of the Sky Saloon, which led to a fancy dining hall. He quickly peeked inside the dining hall. It was large and was structured in fine glass and ivory. Tables were laid out neatly and chairs were tucked in as if they were never used. There was a small alcove dividing the runway and the dining hall, where a Moogle was seen floating behind a small podium, wearing thin glasses and cummerbund.

Axel fancied the dining hall, but didn't bother to go inside to check it out because the Moogle wouldn't let him anyway he thought; despite the fact that the dining hall was deserted just like the Sky Saloon, and should have been filled with thousands—no—millions of people. After all, it _was_ a big airship!

So he proceeded down the runway in search of his preys. Right as he disappeared, Aria and Valerie showed up and entered the alcove.

"Kupo." The moogle said, stopping the two girls, "You must be Arian and Valeria."

"Err… it's Aria and Valerie." Aria corrected.

"Your tables this way, Kupo." The moogle escorted the ladies into the dining hall and to their seats, which was at the sidebar, facing the kitchen. The kitchen was also large enough for many chefs to cook for many people. Yet it was deserted. Only the aroma of spicy foods overwhelmed its atmosphere. The girls turned curious.

"Okay, what's going on?" Aria asked. But the moogle was gone already.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Valerie whispered.

"Greetings!" Fate popped out of nowhere in front of the girls.

"KYAAA!" the girls jumped.

"Here they are: squid chili with Gysahl Greens flavor. Just the way you like it." Fate served her food. It was a red substance of gooey texture with muddy-like beans and what looked like green smoothie and a drowning squid… Disgustingly the squid was half cooked and still kicking.

"Is that an Ultros or a Kraken baby?" Valerie muttered to Aria.

Fate stared back at her two comrades. The two girls stared back at Fate. There was this awkward silence between them.

"Well…?" Fate finally spoke.

Aria grinned, "…well what?"

"Aren't you gonna eat it? Or should I?"

Aria and Valerie stared at each other then back at Fate, "Are YOU going to eat it." Aria asked.

"Nah." Fate replied, "I'm allergic to chili."

"Well then if you're allergy to chili, how come you're cooking it?" Valerie said.

Aria elbowed her again; "OW!" she glowered at Aria, "Stop hitting me like that!"

"Stop being honest." Aria snapped.

"What's wrong with being honest?"

"When it comes to Fate's cooking." Aria said, "Everything."

"You know I can hear you right?" Fate said to the two girls.

The two girls froze. They then slowly faced Fate. "Oh-Ho-ho!" the girls laughed nervously, "Oh, don't be like that Fate. We still LOVE your cooking." Aria giggled, "In fact we'll eat it." She gulped, "Like right now."

"We will?" Valeria hissed.

"We will." Aria gnashed through her teeth.

"Oh goodie! You will!" Fate clapped her hands in glee.

A shadow zoomed past the runway, catching Fate's attention, "Uh?" she blinked.

Aria and Valerie noticed her gaze out the runway then looked back to see what she was staring at. Nothing. They blinked.

xXx

Back on the Sky Deck,

Kendall looked around nervously. He could've sworn that he and his buds got back to the Sky Saloon, but then they came up here on the Sky Deck instead. Of course, there was a logical explanation behind it, and just like last night, it was still the same…

He heard a noise. As if there was someone else.

The girls were in the kitchen, and the guys were back at the Saloon. But who else was on the Sky Deck?

A shadowy figure zoomed right behind Kendall catching his attention. He whirled around and saw no one. He gulped.

"Oh-kay. That was weird."

He turned around to head back when he saw Carlos right in front of him.

"WHOA! Carlos!" he startled, "Oh, thank goodness it's you. Thought you were someone else."

"Someone else?" Carlos blinked.

Kendall didn't say anything.

"Dude, you're okay? You look pale." He placed a hand on Kendall's shoulder.

Kendall nodded. But he wasn't fine. In fact, he was getting weaker by the minute, as if the energy within was depleting.

He shook his head and smiled, "…y-yeah, dude. I'm fine. I really am. We should head back." He looked up the sky; having this feeling of where that force absorption might be coming from, "…don't want this mist to affect us."

Once again he was off, and once again Carlos remained behind, looking more sinister than ever. "Oh, little too late for that." He said before watching bits of small glowing orbs swirling above the palms of his hand, and he smiled, "ex-cores. Warriors' sources of energy." He said.

By the bridge, Axel was perched, watching Kendall and Carlos walk away.

"The Prophecy said that there's to be a betrayer in this ranks of Cosmos." He said, "Most preferably the Four Warriors of Light." He narrowed his eyes, "I'd say all Four of them are betrayers, ready to break the Prophecy before it even happens."

He then let out a deep breath, "Okay, no time to dawdle. Time to take care of business."

He jumped off the bridge and vanished into the sky.

xXx

Back in the dining hall, Aria and Valerie had been staring back and forth at Fate and their stew. Finally Aria scooped up a spoonful of the stew and slowly shoved it to her mouth.

The stew got cold in a hurry. Then it got chunky and chewy between her teeth. The stew was nasty. To make it even worse, it made her want to throw up due to the Gysahl Greens smell blended in living octopus. Heck, it was the octopus that stimulated her nausea.

Valerie had that same thought. But oh… poor Valerie! She had accidentally taken a bite out of the squid and felt the tentacle dancing down her throat. She squealed in horror before she could even swallow.

"How does it taste?" Fate asked.

"Did you heat it?" Aria whined.

"Yes."

"…then it's good…" Aria giggled in tears, "…funky but good."

"Great!" Fate said, "Then finish up! I got more."

The moment Fate turned around, Aria finally burst into real tears. Valerie joined in, her tears were louder and her mouth hung open, allowing the tentacles to escape.

"It's ho-ho-HOORRRIBLE!" Valerie cried.

"Hey girls!"

Aria and Valerie heard Tina come in.

"Oh my gosh, Tina! Thank the goddess!" Aria squealed.

The two girls dragged Tina and Chocolate to the table. "What's going on?" Tina said nervously, not liking where this was going.

"You can do magic better than us, right?" Valerie asked, "Make those things disappear."

Tina laughed, "Oh, too bad! I can't do that! I can't use Vanish spell on foods!"

The two mages looked at each other, "Then it's time for Plan B."

The mages shoved Tina and Chocolate to the front of the chili, "What are you doing?" Tina squealed.

"KWAKO!" Chocolate squealed.

"Saving our lives! From horrible cooks!" Aria and Valerie said together and began dumping the stew into Tina's mouth and forced her jaws to chew the substance, "EEEeeeeewwww…." Tina whined. They then followed by dumping the rest into Chocolate's mouth and forced him to chew, "Aaawwwwww…."

Back in the kitchen, Fate was just finishing up her last batch, when the shadowy figure zoomed past her.

"Huh?" she blinked but saw no one. She suddenly felt tense.

"Come on out, freak!" she shouted, "I know you're there!"

The shadowy figure landed right behind her. Fate startled, quickly turned around and before she could identify her stalker, she blacked out into his arms. The impostor reveals his face: Axel!

"Sorry, lady." He said, "But your meddling is just getting too much."

xXx

Back on the Sky Deck, Carlos stood in front of a pedestal in which a bright light was growing right above it. Ex-forces were swirling and gathering around the light, making it bigger by the minute.

Carlos giggled giddily, "Just more ex-forces to collect, and pretty soon, everything will fall into place. I will have the power to dominate…"

The light vanished. Carlos's smile vanished, turning into an annoyed frown. Someone was here, he sensed. He turned around and watched Logan approaching him in a hurry. He stopped his tracks, catching his breath.

"Logan?" he blinked, putting up his best expression yet.

"Carlos. Something's wrong." Logan replied.

"What is?" Carlos replied with a confused look.

"Well, for starters, someone broke into the airship. And I have a pretty good feeling that a villain of Darkness is walking the deck as I speak!"

"What about Kendall and James?"

"Couldn't find them anywhere!" He replied, "I couldn't find the girls either. What if something happened to them? Come on, dude, we gotta—!"

Logan suddenly paused, "wait a minute…" he pointed at Carlos. Carlos rescinded, feeling tensed, "something's different about you. Did you change your hair?"

Carlos was quiet.

"Are you okay?"

Carlos crossed his arms, bitterly staring at Logan, "Yeah! Why are you askin'?"

Before Logan could respond, he noticed something that suddenly got chills overwhelming his senses: the tone of voice in Carlos. They didn't sound like Carlos at all! It sounded deep and cavernous. The expression on his face was no longer relaxed and cheerful, but cold and dark; and if his eyes weren't playing tricks on him he was sure and certain that he saw his regular brown eyes to be flashing silver instead. This could mean one thing: Carlos has been affected by the mists and is turning dark!

"Why are you lookin' at me like that?" Carlos spoke. Logan almost jumped.

"Err…" he laughed nervously, "Nothing. I thought I just saw a… ahem… a dandruff on your hair." Logan quickly brushed Carlos' hair as if removing the dandruff, "There, all better. See ya!"

Logan turned around and before he could even take one step, Carlos was in front of him again. "AAAH!" Logan jumped again, startled.

"You're not going anywhere, buddy." Carlos sneered, his silver eyes shining more brightly than ever before, and his voice turning deeper.

Logan stared. He then looked back, then back at Carlos. He still could not grasp how Carlos was able to move _that_ fast.

"Not until I get what I came here for." Carlos finished, before he snapped his finger. Logan heard a clank from underneath his feet. Before he knew it, the ground below him crumbled and a metal platform lifted him up high at a fast blinding pace. Logan screamed in panic just as the metal platform shot out columns of metal bars, encircling the young man and coming together to the top to form a cage.

"Carlos, what are you doing man?" he panicked.

"Keeping you from making the biggest mistake of your life." Carlos replied.

"What mistake?"

"Chaos' victory." Carlos stuck his finger to his left and the cage zoomed off left at his will. Logan's plea to escape drowned just as the cage vanished to the far-off direction. Carlos, alone once again, pulled out his iPhone and went to FaceTime. He saw the person on the other line and smiled grievously.

"Kefka." He said, "The Warriors are onto us. Shall we go on with the plan?"

Back at Kefka's Tower, Kefka, who also had an iPhone, responded, "The plan?" he said bleakly, then thoughtfully repeated, "…the plan, plan, plan…" he then laughed, finally catching up to his memory, "Oh yes! The plan! Yeah, if they are onto us… fine. Just do it. But make sure these Warriors are brought to us alive. Got it? No killing! Since that's what y'all Manikins like to do."

Carlos rolled his eyes. He hated being called a Manikin, despite the fact that he _was _a Manikin.

"Fine, sure, whatever you say boss." He hung up.

Kefka stared at the iPhone, turned it around to look at its back, and then turned it again to stare at its front, closely probing the device.

"Gee, this device of yours is kinda cool." Kefka said, facing his prisoner: the real Carlos Garcia!

Carlos was trapped in one of those Esper-retaining capsules tucked in a small alcove. Kefka watched in glee his panicked captive banging hard on the glass capsule, trying to break free.

"It's too bad we don't have that kind of thing back where I come from," Kefka went on praising Carlos's iPhone, "maybe where Lightning comes from though. But I'm sure hers is _way_ more advanced."

Carlos angrily slammed on the glass capsule and started yelling at Kefka. But his voice was inaudible. Kefka mockingly tucked his ears at him, then acted as if he just remembered that he should push the small button on the control panel in front of him so that he can hear him. He does push the button and Carlos is finally heard.

"You better not lay a hand on my friend, you freaky circus clown!" he shouted, "Or I swear I'm gonna make you pay!"

"Oh, what's that I hear?" Kefka tauntingly stuck his ear at his prisoner again, "Is that a threat?"

"I thought it was a promise." Kuja said to Kefka. Kefka forgot that this celebrity star wannabe was with him on this.

"And I thought I told you to shut up."

Kuja looked offended, "Don't tell me to shut up! Not after what you did to me in the last two wars."

Before Kefka and Kuja were ready to get into an argument, Carlos shouted again, "HEY!"

Kefka and Kuja turned to face him.

"You're not gonna get away with this." Carlos shouted, "I once saved them from an evil record producer, I can save them from my evil twin too." Carlos put on his helmet, gave it a quick slap on it and charged on the capsule.

BONNK!

The capsule pushed him off and he fell.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Be caaarefuuul." Kefka said tauntingly, "If you keep headbutting like that on your capsule, you could get a head trauma. Even with that helmet of yours."

"Yeah, seriously, what's with the helmet?" Kuja blinked.

Kefka went on, ignoring Kuja, "Oh! And uhh… newsflash: your evil twin could do us a nice favor."

Carlos held on his throbbing head, "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Why, your Manikin of course." Kuja spoke in response, "He and his comrades are purr-fect versions of what you four are: the Warriors of Light. Hence, the resemblance instead of the usual crystallized forms…"

"Kuja…"

"And even better, Manikins are above mercy, and when a warrior gets defeated by these harmonious freaks of nature, the gods' ability to revive such warrior will be negated…"

"Kuja…!"

"…and uh… what does that mean to you and your friends: the ultimate finale. You four will be NO MORE!"

"KUJA!"

Kuja finally stared at Kefka, "What?"

"Don't tell him that!" Kefka exclaimed, "The mouse needs to fall into the trap! Not to be TOLD of the trap! Now he's gonna panic!"

And right on cue, Carlos panicked, "Oh no… Kendall, James and Logan… they're gonna die!"

Kefka glared back at Kuja, "See? What did I tell you?"

Kuja shrugged, "Hey, it's not my fault you didn't bring a script to your evil scheme for me to read."

xXx

**Break**

So it seems that Big Time Rush and Final Fantasy also have something in common in reality. If that's so the case, then here's a little BTFF Trivia for y'all.

- Which _Dissidia: Final Fantasy_ voice actor made an appearance in _Big Time Rush_?

The answer at the end of this episode.

**Break**

xXx

"I have to apologize for my friend Kuja here." Kefka said to Carlos, "Frankly he is as thickheaded as his thong!"

Kuja looked offended, "Oh? Now you're bringing my thong into this?"

And once again, Kefka and Kuja went back into arguing.

"Oh, would you two forget about…" Carlos cringed, "…that… for a sec? What is your plan in all of this to get rid of us? You're planning to create an army of Warriors of Light out of Manikins is that it?"

"No. We were just hoping to get rid of you…." Then Kefka pulled off this big huge grin, "but we like your idea SO much better!"

"D-oh!"

"Now, the Emperor's plan to trap you all in his castle…" Kuja shook his head back and forth, "obviously was a big time fail."

"But this… is a big time fail proof." Kefka said, " 'cuz one: your Manikin is a perfect being just like you. And two, these warriors will have NO idea what'll hit them." Kefka giggled, "it's absolute genius!" and he laughed on cue.

"Genius huh?" Carlos glanced about, noticing many other capsules within the tower, "Don't underestimate Big Time Rush, Kefka. Kendall, James and Logan will notice that this freak is not me. And once they do notice, they'll come and rescue me, along with all of your other prisoners trapped in your precious capsules."

Kefka gasped horrifically, "DON'T you dare talk about my Espers as prisoners!"

Carlos blinked, "Espers?"

"Kefka IS very sensible with his puppets." Kuja said, before facing Kefka, "Remember? Terra? In the 12th Cycle? She's an Esper. Well… actually half-Esper, half-human."

"Quiet you." Kefka angrily said to Kuja. Kuja rolled his eyes. Kefka menacingly approached Carlos, gluing his face to the capsule, "You better not bring my Espers into this. They are my precious collection. Precious! Anyone who touches them will feel my wrath. And you will feel it too."

Carlos said nothing, yet he glared back at Terra, his brown eyes narrowed.

xXx

Back on the airship's dining hall, Aria and Valerie were all alone. They sulked together at a table.

"Aw… that was just horrible I gotta say. Just horrible." Aria groaned.

"Aria, we gotta tell Fate the truth!" Valerie begged, "We can't keep on going with the lies. Her foods are plain HORRIBLE."

"Yes, I heard you Val. Loud and clear." Aria then sighed, "…and besides, maybe one of the boys can cook better than she can."

"I'm sure Carlos is a pretty good cook." Valerie pointed out, "That's just my opinion."

"Did someone call my name?"

The girls turned to face Carlos (or rather M. Carlos. M for Manikin). And once again he had put on his best expression.

"Oh good you're here!" Aria said with a sigh, "Can you cook us something delicious? I don't know if you can cook or something."

"Oh, definitely! I can cook anything!" M. Carlos snapped his finger and a delicious meal of fried chicken and Caesar salad, with fancy apple cider lay out before the girls. The girls stared at their feast, then back at Carlos.

"Just the way you like it." M. Carlos grinned.

"…wait! Since when do you know magic?" Aria blinked.

"Are you gonna eat or not?" M. Carlos snapped.

The girls blinked. M. Carlos cleared his throat, "Sorry. Force of habit. Here. Why don't you ladies try on the apple cider? It'll wash away that bland taste from your tongue and clean off your palate."

He quickly served the girls glasses of apple cider on fancy glasses. The girls got giddied all of the sudden. It was quite unusual to be served a delicious meal by a warrior of light. Unusual but strangely… romantic. The girls blushed at the thought. Too bad it wasn't a date.

"Why, thank you, sir." Valerie giggled from ear to ear, "That's so sweet."

"Let's toast. To Carlos." Aria raised her glass and Valerie joined in and they clinked.

"Aww, chucks." M. Carlos giggled also. His smile turned dark once more as he watched the girls took a sip of their cider. Before the girls knew it, their senses overwhelmed them and they blacked out, letting go of their glasses. The cider spilled on the fancy upholstered carpet and began to sizzle, melting on the carpet.

"Apple cider, my butt." M. Carlos cackled, "More like an M-Antidote." He peeled off the apple cider image from the bottle to reveal a skull with crossbones instead, "A mirrored version of Antidote that can be poisonous in a hurry. Now… give me all your forces!"

He raised his hands up in the air and more ex-forces extracted from Aria and Valerie. He laughed evilly on cue.

"Muah! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

He stopped laughing, suddenly sensing someone calling out to him.

xXx

Back on the airship bridge, Logan still trapped in his cage, shouted out, "Carlos! Get me outta here! Carlos!"

No answer. Logan angrily shook the cage up, trying to break free. But then he suddenly froze. An idea was quickly forming into his head.

"Wait a minute," he smiled, "I can do magic now, right? Then I can bust this cage open."

He stepped back, pointed and a stream of fire shot through his fingertip and onto the metal bars. But the bars quickly reflected the magic and almost hit Logan. The startled Mage tumbled down.

"Nice try, young Logan." he heard M. Carlos speak, "Your magic won't have any effect on this cage whatsoever."

Logan came to his feet to stare at M. Carlos who had just returned from the dining hall. Logan's eyes squinted, "Did you just called me young Logan?"

M. Carlos just stood there, expressionless.

"N-nevermind that." Logan changed subjects, "Carlos. You need to snap out of it! The mist is affecting your brain!"

M. Carlos shook his head, "Oh I'm perfectly fine, can't you see?"

"Hey what's going on?" said Kendall as he was passing by along with James. M. Carlos and Logan turned to their attention.

"Oh nuttin'" M. Carlos said, almost imitating Carlos' cheerful expression.

"Why are you in a cage?" James asked Logan curiously; but before he could even respond he heard M. Carlos speak in his mind.

_You say one word, and they are toast._

Logan saw M. Carlos secretly conjuring up fire above his fingertip. Logan's eyes widened. Not over the fact that M. Carlos could do magic but with the fact that he could speak his mind!

Logan turned back to Kendall and James, and pulled off the best possible smile to show that he was okay. "We were just… setting up cages to trap intruders in. You'd never know when we get intruders on deck. Big time! And silly me, I ended up here. Trapped. With no way to save myself."

He glared at M. Carlos at that last sentence.

"So I'm helping him." M. Carlos said, "Hey. Don't worry about us. Go about your business."

Logan shook his head, attempting to persuade Kendall and James not to go. But they barely noticed as they've already brought their stories.

"Oh-kay. Then I guess we'll see you crazy dawgs later." Kendall smiled and the two guys took off. Finally alone, M. Carlos and Logan turned to each other.

"How did you do that?" Logan said vehemently.

"Do what?" M. Carlos said nonchalantly.

"Speak to my mind, you evil man!" Logan snapped, "You threatened me!" Logan shook his head, "What's gotten into you man?"

"Thought I told you already, smarty pants." M. Carlos said, "Chaos has opened my eyes to all possibilities. Now, because you ruined my first plan, guess it's time I set the second plan in motion. Kendall and James will never see it coming."

"What? W-Wait!" Logan shouted just as M. Carlos was distance away, "Don't hurt them!" He shook the cage again, then started yelling, "Help! Help!"

xXx

Somewhere in the Sky Saloon, Axel who was hiding by a corner peeked in, staring back and forth, and again back and forth. With his blade on hand he tiptoed into the deserted sky saloon. He noticed the thick mists shifting above him. It's no wonder everyone was gone, he thought, knowing the effect of the Mist to the human heart and mind.

He heard scuffing behind him and then a quick whir and click of a gun. His sword vanished and he quickly turned around, now equipped with two Dessert Eagles to his grasps. He aimed at the unknown figure that also surprised him at gunpoint. It was Reina.

"You…" she narrowed her eyes.

"Yes it's me, babe." Axel said, a smirk passed by his sly lips, "Who else, your Knight in Shining Armor?"

"You think you can get away with it this time?"

"I'm already here, aren't I?" he replied, "Now, you gonna pull that trigger of yours and end it? Or should I pull mine on you?"

Then a shadow zoomed right past the two gun wielders. Axel sensed the shadow as its target.

"Sorry. Gotta go." And he took off, chasing the shadow. Reina just stood there with her guns pointing at no one now. She watched Axel vanish and tucked her weapon back in place, shaking her head.

xXx

Tina was at the airship's Den alongside her Chocobo. Both of them had their heads out the window and puking Fate's foods endlessly. Tina then magically conjured up a glass of water and dumped it on her head and gurgle the rest into her mouth. She does the same for Chocolate. After heaving puking and washing up, they sighed.

"Remind me never, EVER, to eat Fate's trashy food again." Tina groaned.

"Boko…" Chocolate sighed also.

"I almost died." Tina muttered.

"TINA!"

Tina and Chocolate pulled their heads out the windows to face Kendall and James. The boys jumped, "WHOAAA!"

"Gee, what's with your face?" Kendall cringed.

Tina's hair was wet, wild and tangy. It looked very similar to that of Diana Ross. Her mascara seemed to be running and her lips were all green from the Gysahl Green. Chocolate looked like a puffed-up chick, with the drowsy eyes like someone who hadn't slept for days.

"It's the mist humidity okay?" Tina snapped before turning her glass of water into a hairdryer via a brief veil of light. She began to blow-dry, then blow-dried her Chocobo.

"Tina we have a problem." James said.

"I know. Fate's cooking." Tina replied, "If one of you boys can cook better foods than she is, most preferably Carlos, tell him the kitchen is his to take over!"

"No, it's not about Fate's cooking." James said, "Or Carlos's cooking."

"It's about Carlos himself." Kendall added, "Something's wrong with him."

Tina faced the boys.

"I think the mist has affected him."

Tina dropped her blow-dry, "WHAT?"

"KWAAT?" Chocolate cried.

"You let your friend outside into the mists?" Tina barked.

"Hey, it's not his fault that he had to check out noises last night!" James snapped.

"Noise?" Tina blinked, "You mean… someone broke into the airship?"

"We have our suspicion." Kendall said, "I heard the same noise too earlier this afternoon and I was getting worried. So… " Kendall hesitated.

"…you had to check outside too huh?" Tina sighed frustratingly, "…okay. We need to find Carlos. I know a spell to cast the evil out of him. And just curious, how did you know he turned evil? He looked fine to me."

"Logan." Kendall replied.

"He gave us the SOS codeword." James said.

"Big time!" The guys said together.

"Okay." Tina said, "good thinking." She sighed, "Let's all calm down, and not panic… ahh-ooh… ahh-ooh… ahh-ooh…"

"Err… Tina? You're panicking." James said.

"I know that!" Tina hissed, "I just need to compose myself. Okay. First, let's find the other girls. They're in the dining hall," she then shuddered, "where they fed me that poison… and two, we find Carlos and Logan, get them away from the mist before the evil within turns permanent, and then we restore Carlos back to his old cheerful self, and then we find this intruder."

"Got it." Kendall and James said.

"Now let's move!" Tina exclaimed and the heroes took off in haste.

They reached the dining room where they found Aria and Valerie unconscious.

"Oh no." Tina checked Aria and Valerie's pulse.

"Are they all right?" James asked.

"No they're not. Look!" Kendall pointed at the bottle with the skull-and-crossbones sign on it. Tina examined the bottle, "M-Antidote. A mirror version of Antidote. Instead of reversing the effect of poison, it speeds it up."

She gently laid her hands on the two girls' bodies, "I hope I'm not too late." She whispered, "Esuna."

A veil of golden light enveloped Aria and Valerie for a brief period of time. The light vanished and the two girls slowly blinked their eyes open, groaning.

"Yes! They're alive!" James cheered.

"All right!" Kendall pumped his fist in the air.

"Wh-what happened?" Valerie groaned.

"Valerie." Tina said, "Who did this to you? Tell me."

"C-C-Carl…Carlos…" Aria groaned, "W…wh…why…?"

Kendall and James looked at each other, twice as concerned as before. "Oh no, Logan!"

Reina came into the hall, "We got an intruder." She announced, alarming everyone again. She then saw the two girls regaining their conscience and turned frantic, "Oh jeez. What happened?"

She rushed to them.

"Carlos did this." Tina replied.

"What?" Reina blinked, "Carlos? I thought it was Axel!"

"Axel?" Tina, Kendall and James blinked.

"He's the intruder on the ship." Reina revealed, "He knocked out Fate unconscious earlier."

"What?"

"She's back in her cabin, regaining her health." Reina said.

"Okay." Tina began to panic again, "You Reina, stay with the girls. I'll go find Fate." She then faced Kendall and James, "And you two need to find Carlos, Logan and this Axel guy! I'll rejoin you guys soon."

And the heroes took off, with Reina watching over Aria and Valerie.

But M. Carlos was watching. His eyes narrowed.

"Great." He said, "My plan is going down the drain as I speak. It'll be a matter of time before I get busted."

He teleported from the dining hall into the airship's sky deck. He pulled out his iPhone and went on FaceTime again.

"WHAT?" Kefka snapped from the other line. "That better be good!"

"Yeah…" M. Carlos said, frowning, "About the plan. Not gonna happen."

There was a brief silence.

"What'chu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" Kefka mumbled.

"I'm talkin' 'bout bringin' the warriors alive to Chaos… _Willis_." M. Carlos said.

"Are you turning your back on me?" Kefka yelled, "Y' better not turn your back on me, young man! We supposed to be raising an army full of puppets together here, and bring Cosmos and her minions down on their knees! SO YOU BETTER NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON—!"

Click.

M. Carlos hung up on Kefka and crushed the iPhone with his bare hand. _Cruuunsh! _He opened his hands, letting the device scatter into pieces.

"Sorry clown," he said, turning colder than ever, "but I run things _my_ way now. And the Manikin way… is to destroy."

"HA!"

M. Carlos jumped, startled by Axel's yell. Axel pointed his sword at him, "I knew I'd find the impostor here!" he said. "The Prophecy said that someone from the Warriors of Light will betray the group. And I will defeat the betrayer. And your comrades. So!" Axel approached, sword still pointing at him, "Where are your allies? So that I can finish them."

M. Carlos cocked his head on one side, "Are you talking about the Prophecy of Light, or the Prophecy of Darkness?"

"None of your business."

"Then stay out of mine."

And with that, M. Carlos vanished in flames; his laughter trailing behind into the misty skies. Axel ran toward him but was too late to catch up.

_Muah! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!_

"Damn it!" Axel sighed frustratingly, "Now I gotta find those creeps again."

"Logan!"

Axel heard Kendall and James nearby. He ran down the deck and spotted them at the bridge.

"Jackpot." He smiled.

"We're here to rescue you." James said. He, Kendall, Tina, and Chocolate saw Logan on the cage, suspended couple of feet from the deck.

"Where is Carlos?" Kendall asked.

"Why should I care?" Logan snapped, "He locked me in this cage and left me here to die!"

"That's not him!" Tina said, "It's the mist!"

"I know that!" Logan exclaimed, "But I would LOVE to knock the mist out of his mind!"

"Well," Tina said, "The mist should be clearing up in a couple of hours, so you'd have plenty of knocking to do then. But right now, stand back."

Logan slowly stepped back.

"I know a spell that will break this cage open." Tina said.

"You know everything do you?" Kendall smiled.

"I know." Tina haughtily grinned from ear to ear.

"Wow!" Axel's voice startled the heroes, "well, did you _know_ that I was here this whole time?"

All head turned to Axel's direction. Axel then stared at the readers, " 'cause I knew I was here this whole time. And you did too."

The heroes blinked. They then stare back at the readers, then back at Axel.

"Who are you TALKIN' to?" Kendall exclaimed.

"Doesn't matter." Axel said, "Because I'm here to kick all your butts!"

"You must be Axel." Tina frowned, "The intruder."

"Oh I see you've met Reina." Axel said, "Yeah, we go way back. But then again, we got two different stories. And my story is to get rid of YOU!"

"Guys, look out!" Logan warned, just as Axel leapt off from where he was standing and descended at them with a sword, a lance, and a battle cry, "AAAGGGH!"

"GUWAAAAH!" Kendall, James, Tina and Chocolate screamed.

Before Axel could attack, a dark beam struck him down from out of the blue, knocking him to a wall rush, unconscious. All heads watched Axel tumbling to the ground like a ragged doll. Then a veil of darkness suddenly overwhelmed his entire body and Axel began yelling in pain, "Gwaahhh…"

All heads turned to the direction of the dark beam. It was M. Carlos. And the palm of his hand was aiming at Axel. Axel continued to struggle in pain up until he stopped struggling and let himself sulk. His eyes opened up and they were appearing bland and vacant… as if possessed.

"Carlos!" everyone cried out.

"What are you doing?" Tina cried out.

M. Carlos pointed a finger at Tina, and suddenly she and Chocolate got enveloped in heavy chains and a large metal ball. Their mouths quickly got tapped shut as well. He swung his finger to the right and Tina and Chocolate flew to his right at will, and to a corner. With Axel, Tina and Chocolate out of the way, it was now Kendall and James, all alone. Logan couldn't do anything anyway, because he was still trapped in the cage and his magic was ineffective.

"Well…" M. Carlos said, "I guess it's just you, and me…" he then smiled, "…and the _whole_ world."

He snapped his finger and right before the guys stood a whole army of Manikins: imperfect versions of Lightning, Kain, and Carlos! Kendall and James were surrounded. Carlos cackled, "MUAH! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

xXx

Back at Kefka's Tower, the real Carlos was sulking inside his capsule. After a few paces around the tiny capsule he rested his back on the glass and quietly slipped down to a sitting position.

"Of all the places in this _Final Fantasy_ universe, I'm the one who ends up being kicked out of the band. By my evil twin. And he wasn't even born the same day as me!"

He sighed before shifting to one side and stared at the deserted Kefka's Tower, noticing all those capsules with all those jailed Espers inside.

"I got to get outta here. Fast."

_Do not mope, young warrior._

He blinked. He then looked around, "Who said that?" he asked.

Then before he knew it he saw a woman. A woman with blue skin and a delicate figure, and she had dark-blue hair adorned in many fancy jewels, flowing past her shoulders and reaching her midriff. She also appeared to be very scantily-looking, almost provoking to the male mind with translucent veil covering her lower part, and nothing covering her upper.

Carlos was startled by her appearance, but then again, he couldn't stop staring at her. And it wasn't because she was quite beautiful, but because she was blue!

"What…who are you?"

_One of the Espers. I am one of the Ice and Waters. I am Shiva._

Then another figure appeared before him. This one was less attractive than the first. Heck, he was scary. It was a beast, with gold and muscular skin, almost like Hercules. But its face was a beast, with large horns and sharp teeth. It also had flames shooting out of his elbows and skull, looking like flowing hair, and also had really sharp claws and pointy ears. Now Carlos freaked out by its appearance. "AAAH!"

_And I am one of the fires. I am Ifrit._

"Shiva and Ifrit?" Carlos blinked.

_Your companions are well aware of your situation. _Shiva said, _but they cannot help you at this moment._

"What?" Carlos exclaimed, "What do you mean they can't help me? Did that…" he paused, suddenly turning angry, "…they accepted my evil twin as their own best friend now, is that it? Grr! That's just typical of them is it? Y'know what? Forget them. Let them have good company with their 'best friend' the faux Carlos, for all I care." He turned his back on the two Espers and crossed his arms, pouting.

_Hmph. _Ifrit scoffed, _being green of envy instead of facing the truth? Your friends cannot help you because they NEED your help._

Carlos looked back at Shiva and Ifrit. "Huh?"

_They are in great danger. _Shiva said.

He uncrossed his arms, "What?"

_Your manikin is plotting to steal their ex-forces to raise an army of warriors. An army commanded by a team very similar to you four Warriors of Light. _Shiva went on.

"You mean, Big Time Rush has its own Manikins?" Carlos blinked, "Well, that explain things! It's bad enough that we get impostors back home, but here, they're not even crazed fans!"

_Yes._ _And if your Manikins succeed, _Shiva went on,_ the god of Discord Chaos will succeed so too._

_The war could turn into his favor. _Ifrit said, _And you and your friends could perish before they could even figure out your manikin is really not you, but the manikin himself. And remember what Kuja said: warriors who are defeated by their own manikins cannot come back to life. For their powers will negate the gods' ability to resurrect them._

"That's a lot to digest in one sitting!" Carlos exclaimed, "I gotta do something!" he looked around, "but how can I when I'm stuck inside this stupid glass like you guys?"

Shiva and Ifrit's apparitions were no more. "G-guys?" Carlos gulped, "…did I just saw ghosts?"

Suddenly, Lightning descended from above and landed right on her feet to face Carlos, "UWWAAH!" he jumped, startled again.

She pointed her gunblade at the glass. "Stand back." She said and Carlos took a step back.

She swung her blade and cut right through the capsule, slicing it open. The glass slid open and crashed to the ground. Carlos was free!

Carlos smiled; "You saved me!" he quickly got off the capsule.

"No thanks necessary." Lightning replied, "Call me Lightning."

"Lightning?" he blinked before letting out a hearty laugh, "That's the name of our dog!"

Lightning glowered. Carlos stopped smiling, "I mean… not our dog. I meant, this dog… back at the Palm Woods… he's like really talented and…"

"Shut up."

"Okay."

Suddenly the tower emitted a security alarm. A red light went blinking and invading the entire capsules chamber, alarming the duo. Suddenly a man descended from above and landed before Lightning and Carlos. It was Kain.

"We don't have much time." Kain said, "We need to get outta here."

I'll take the boy with me." Lightning said to Kain.

"Wait!" Carlos had another idea, "What about those prisoners in the capsules?" he mentioned the Espers still trapped inside.

"Kain will handle this."

"What?" Kain didn't like that order, "What part of 'we don't have much time' don't you understand?"

"Just do it." She said bitterly, and then said to Carlos, "Let's go."

She raised her hand up high and brought it down. Smokes took over the duo and they vanished, leaving Kain all alone at the Tower to deal with the Esper prisoners.

xXx

_(Back in the Airship, we are now back where it all started… the beginning of the chapter)_

"Carlos, snap out of it man! This isn't you!" Logan said to the Manikin.

"Yeah, man! You don't wanna do this!" James pleaded.

"You want to be a hero, not a villain!" Kendall explained, "Villains never prosper!"

"D-don't tell him that! He's turning INTO a villain!" James angrily said to Kendall.

"Well, he gotta snap out of it!"

"Guys, guys! Is that a good time right now to argue?" Logan exclaimed.

"Y'know…" M. Carlos hesitated, "Kendall may be right. About villains never prospering…" his eyes turned colder, "But the prophecy did say that one of us will betray the group. And I am such betrayer. Now if you could just hand over the Crystals, and y'all will be on your way…" He reached his hand out to the guys and quickly retreat it; and the Crystals around the guys' necklaces snapped off their necks and floated toward M. Carlos at will. The guys watched in amazement.

"Wait… since when can you do magic?" James asked.

"A long, long time." M. Carlos disclosed, then leaned toward the caged guys and whispered evilly, "I'm not who you thought I was." He then turned back and started walking away, "Axel, take them out." He ordered.

"Yes, Master." Axel mumbled, his hands coming loose to the rope and the guys screaming fearfully, "No! No! No! No! No!"

Axel let go off the rope and the cage flew down into oblivion, the guys' screams drowned into the chilly sky altitude.

The enemies suddenly heard running footsteps. They watched in awe and shock, an enigmatic figure taking a great leap off the airship and heading straight to the plummeting cage. It was Carlos!

"What?" M. Carlos's jaws dropped. Possessed Axel's eyes snapped out of trance and Tina and Chocolate lit up!

Carlos shot a harpoon from his wrist and right onto the airship. Anchored to the ship, he proceeded to chase after the falling cage and closed in. He grabbed on the rope that was tied to the cage and with sheer strength stopped the cage from falling.

Logan, Kendall, and James stopped screaming. They were now airborne 2000 feet between the airship, and many more feet from the earth below.

"We-we stopped!" James said.

Another enigmatic figure showed up like a ninja. It was Lightning. She punched Axel hard enough to knock him out cold. She then shot a Ruinga spell at M. Carlos, sending him flying to a wall rush, and quickly went to Tina and Chocolate.

"You're okay?" she asked her, removing the tape off the girl. Tina whimpered, "That… that's… that's not…"

"I know." Lightning said, already knowing what she was going to say, "…that's his Manikin."

Tina gasped. Lightning noticed the white mage's white gaze over her shoulder, and slowly glanced back. The Manikins army had cornered them, all holding them at bladepoint.

"You…" Lightning heard M. Carlos growling under his breath. He had apparently recovered from his blow.

Right on cue, the cage containing Kendall, James, and Logan flew in the air and landed right back on board, shattering in pieces. Kendall, James, and Logan were freed again!

Carlos followed, landing right back on the ship like a stealthy ninja. The guys faced their friend, relieved that he had snapped out of the darkness within.

"Phew… thanks Carlos." Kendall said.

"See I knew you weren't that evil." James added. And then Logan said, "Yeah, but next time…"

Carlos pointed over their shoulder. They turned around and they saw him: the OTHER Carlos!

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

Their jaws dropped. Their eyes boggled. They shook up in place before looking back and forth, stammering. "Wh…who…who…wha…wha…tw…tw…two… TWO CARLOSES?"

"I know!" Carlos yelled, "I was just as shocked as you are!"

"You incompetent fool." M. Carlos growled at his twin, "How dare you screwing up my PLAN!"

He charged at Carlos and tackled him to a wall rush. The guys gasped.

Carlos quickly recovered, "Oh yeah?" he grunted, "How dare YOU, trying to hurt my PALS!"

He too charged at his evil twin and then followed with an uppercut, sending him flying. The evil Carlos stopped midflight and watched his opponent after him, and they fought DBZ-style.

Lightning noticed the Manikins were distracted and seized her chance to tackle one of them down with a sweep kick. She quickly cut the chains off Tina and Chocolate with her gunblade, setting them free, and Tina and Chocolate quickly tackled the distracted manikins. Kendall, James and Logan quickly lend their hands in the fight.

"What's going on here?" James cried out, knocking out some Kain Manikins with his nunchunks, "Are we in the Twilight Zone or something?"

"Yeah, why are we seeing two Carloses?" Logan exclaimed, scorching more Manikins with his Fira attacks.

"The Carlos that got captured by Kefka and Kuja is the real Carlos." Lightning declared, "The Carlos that captured you is his Manikin."

_~Flashback starts~_

_"Huh." Carlos blinked, "I could have sworn I heard something."_

_The wind now began to howler, catching Carlos' attention up. He noticed the mists were getting thicker and he turned nervous. He quickly scampered away. Just as he was about to head inside, a shadowy figure descended from behind him and pinched him at the neck. He quickly blacked out. The unknown figure was Kuja. Kefka joined in with a smile. And right next to Kefka was an unknown figure wearing a dark hood. The figure opened his hood to reveal himself: the Manikin Carlos! _

_~Flashback ends~_

_"_Manikins?" the guys gasped.

"Shadow demons crawling from the rifts of time to lure warriors like you and me into their true deaths." She explained, "They appear in our exact shapes and sizes. Usually in crystal forms," She then attacked another Manikin, "they are imperfect beings." She briefly glanced at the guys, "But yours however came out perfectly. So just imagine your chance to meet your evil twins?"

The guys gulped.

"You mean this whole time; we were with a Manikin, while our real buddy was captured and tortured by those villains of Chaos?" Kendall exclaimed, before taking a swordswing at another Manikin.

Lightning nodded before taking another swing at another Kain Manikin.

"This is awful!" Tina exclaimed before sending a Lightning Manikin far to the misty sky with a swing of her staff, "Poor Carlos… all this time I thought it was the mist. It turned out to be an impostor!" she then swung at another manikin yet again, "Plus I've never met those Manikins creeps before in my life!"

"They're part of Chaos army." Lightning replied.

"No shiz!" Axel said, catching everyone's attention. He had woken up from the blow he got from Lightning and was apparently wrapped up in chains, keeping him at bay. "I knew they were out to get the Warriors." He said, "And thanks for that blow you gave me by the way, Light! Really hurt! Now, can you get me out of these chains? They're really uncomfortable."

A Kain Manikin charged behind Axel with its Jump attack. Lightning pointed her gunsword at the Manikin and blast it into pieces. "Too late." She said, "That's the last one."

"And what's the deal with this guy?" Kendall glowered at Axel. So did James and Logan.

"He's with me." Lightning replied, "He's one of Cosmos warriors. But don't worry. He won't hurt a fly." She glowered back at Axel, "Or you anymore for that matter."

WAAAZAAAAAA!

The heroes watched Carlos crashed to the ground. They jumped, staring at their wounded friend… or enemy?

"Know ALL my strength!" cried out the other Carlos from above. The first Carlos watched his opponent descend on him like Kain's Jump attack. The first Carlos quickly dodged the attack.

"Here comes LUNCH!" the first Carlos struck the second with a flash tackle attack, very similar to Ventus's Speed Rave attack.

The two Carloses then jumped back, now facing each other across like a Western movie. The first Carlos grabbed his helmet, put it on, and gave it a good pat. Then the second Carlos grabbed his helmet, put it on, and gave it a good pat also. The two Carloses charged at each other with their battle cry. "GGGAAAAAAHHHHH!", and went at it again, delivering punches and kicks and spitting out insults after insults.

The guys watched the two Carlos going at it. They were so distracted by the Manikins that they didn't know which one was the real Carlos anymore!

"Oh my gosh! We gotta stop this!" Tina exclaimed, "We gotta get Carlos out of harm's way before he gets eliminated by his Manikin!"

"You better." Lightning warned, "Because when a warrior gets killed by their Manikin, they can't come back to life anymore!"

Kendall and Logan's eyes went wide at this revelation. James laughed shakily.

"Oh, yeah, we should…" he replied, "but just one question…" he then screamed, "HOW DO WE KNOW WHO THE REAL CARLOS IS?"

The two Carlos stopped fighting all of the sudden, after hearing James.

"Did you just say you don't know who the real Carlos is?" they said together before facing each other.

They quickly stepped back and faced the heroes.

"I'm the real Carlos!" they said together, before angrily facing each other, "No, I'M the real Carlos! Stop repeating everything I say!"

"All right, stop! Both of you!" Kendall said, stopping the twins from arguing any further, "Obviously, this isn't gonna get us nowhere."

"Y'know…" Axel grinned, "A simpler way to figure out who the real deal is, it's by counting…" he cleared his throat, "Eenie, meenie, miney—!"

"Shut up." Lightning menacingly pointed her gunblade at him.

"Okaay... Just tryin' to help."

"I got it." Logan lit up, a lightbulb in his mind, "How about a quiz?" he faced the heroes, "We'll ask the two Carlos a bunch of random questions about the _real_ Carlos. And these questions are so top-notch, there's no way the Manikin will know everything."

"I love your plan!" the first Carlos said.

"Fire away." The second Carlos said.

"All right," Logan magically conjured up flashcards with a bunch of questions, "who's Big Time Rush's record producer?" he asked.

"Gustavo." The two Carlos said together.

"What's his assistant name?"

"Kelly."

"Where do we come from?"

"Minnesota."

"What's our passion?"

"Hockey and video games."

Lightning and Axel stared at the readers, eyebrow raised, "Video games?"

Logan blinked.

"All right…" Kendall took his turn with the questions, "What's the name of our first debut album?"

"BTR –Big Time Rush."

"What's the name of the place we live in Hollywood?"

"The Palm Woods."

"...what's the name of my little sister?"

"Katie Knight."

Kendall stared. "Okay, I officially lost my mind."

"Just give me the questions." James took his turn, "What do I like?"

"Girls and combs."

"What do I always carry?"

"Your lucky combs and your mirror."

"What's my dream?"

"To be famous."

"How many girls have I dated?"

The two Carlos stared back at James, then back at each other. Then back at James...

"Aw, come on!" James snapped, "again with the silence?"

Logan snatched the questions from James. "Not everything has to be about you, James. We're trying to help Carlos here."

"I got it!" Tina said cheerfully, an lightbulb shone above her head. She then pointed at the palm of her hands and a platter full of hot crispy corn dogs appeared to her. "Corn dogs!"

The guys lit up as Tina said, "One thing Carlos loves the most is Corn Dog. He said so himself!"

"Corn dog!" the first Carlos let out a hearty laugh, "Who eats this stuff?"

"GAAAAASSSSP!"

Everyone stared at the first Carlos. The first Carlos stopped smiling. He slowly turned around and saw the second Carlos, who stared back with anger filling up his eyes.

"Did you… just dissed… the corn dog?" he said.

"Uhh…"

"Because NOBODY disses the corn dog!"

"Carlos." The guys said.

"And how DARE you," the second Carlos fumed, "DISSING the deliciousness of all the heavens that is the corn dog!"

"Carlos…"

"YOU WILL FEEL MY WRATH FOR DISSIN' THE CORN DOG, AND GET AWAY WITH IT!"

"CARLOS!"

"WHAT?" The second Carlos finally stared at his friends.

The guys smiled broadly, "It's you! It really IS you!"

He stared blankly for a while before he finally figured out what was happening in the first place. He smiled broadly, "Yes! Yes it's me!"

The guys, Tina, and Chocolate rushed toward the second Carlos… the real Carlos Garcia, and they cheered and danced in victory. "We did it! We did it! We did it! We did it! We did it!"

_[Final Fantasy victory fanfare + BTR 'Famous' victory fanfare]_

Lightning watched the reunion again and couldn't help but smile. "Finally. Reunited at last…" she then glowered at Axel, "…and you almost ruined it."

Axel shrugged, "Hey, like I said. I tried to stop a bad Prophecy from happening."

"The Prophecy of Darkness?" Lightning inquired, "The Warriors of Light haven't even learn of the Prophecy of Light yet."

Axel sighed, admitting defeat, "True that."

The heroes were so victorious that they got their real Warrior of Light back that they fell to realize his Manikin was still on the ship. M. Carlos growled under his breath, took a step back and stretched his arms almost halfway to the middle. Suddenly his feet left the ground and he glided up into the air. The stunt caught all attention, alarming everyone. Just in the nick of time, Reina, Aria, Valerie and Fate came into the deck and watched what was happening. M. Carlos was floating, airborne.

"You four Warriors of Light may have won this round, but y'all are not gonna get away with this…" M. Carlos growled, "I, Solrac of the Blazing Fire, shall see the day Chaos will rein SUPREME!"

And with these words, he tugged his fists back, and vanished in a spectacular explosion of fire. The explosion rendered the sky, causing a powerful wind blast that almost got everyone off balance, but quickly wiped away the mists off the sky like nasty dusts off a clean floor.

The mists were no more. And the bright sun was returning. It felt like a new day after a season of dark rainstorms. The guys watched as their Crystals slowly returned to their hands. They looked around and saw that the Manikin was gone and no longer on the ship.

"He's gone." Kendall said.

"It's all over." Logan added.

They let out sighs of relief. It was all over with.

"Solrac of the Blazing Fire...?" Carlos commented, before smiling, "Now that's a cool name!"

"Yeah, but he's a freak." James replied.

"...yeah, but he's my twin. So that hurts."

"Sorry."

Aria, Fate, Valerie, and Reina looked all lost, as if they just saw the ending of a great movie and had missed out on the entire plot.

"What just happened?" Valerie asked.

"Is there something we'll like to know?" Aria asked.

The heroes looked at each other before shaking their heads in protest, "Nah." They said.

Fate crossed her arms. "There's something _I _would like to know." She said to Aria and Fate. The two girls turned to face their friend, "Like, what you _really_ think about my cooking?"

_[UH-OH! UHOH! OHHHH!]_

"Oh look! Is that a Phoenix?" Valerie pointed up. Fate looked up the sky and she and Aria took off in a fast haste. Fate turned to face the girls and notice they were fleeing.

"HEY!" she yelled, "I'm not done with you yet! HEY, get back here!"

The heroes laughed wholeheartedly, watching Fate giving chase to Aria and Valerie.

Carlos sighed, "It's so nice to be back."

"It sure is." The heroes responded together.

xXx

Chaos Shrine was the place where the Villains of Darkness usually gathered to talk when not in the presence of their god of Discord Chaos.

"I must congratulate you Kefka," the Emperor said, "on your brilliant scheme to use one of the Four Perfect Manikins Solrac, to fool the Warriors of Light. I must say it was flawless."

He shook his head and went on, "Too bad it failed just because he stumbled on a piece of…" he stifled, "…piece of…" he stifled again, "…corn dog."

The villains burst out laughing.

"Oh, seriously Kefka." Ultimecia said, "How could you be so stupid. Even a caveman could have figure this out that food can even bring out a real person among all clones."

And the villains laughed aloud again.

"Hey! It's not my fault somebody forgot to do ALL the research," Kefka glared at Kuja, "…Kuja!"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Kuja snapped, "You told me to research EVERYTHING! You never mentioned anything about food!"

"When I mean everything, I MEANT EVERYTHING!"

The villains continued to laugh at Kefka's pain again. Kefka growled under his breath.

"Grr… someday… someday… " Kefka sneered, "I will have victory… and my someday is gonna be here… mark my words."

**Break**

Think you know…

- Which _Dissidia: Final Fantasy_ voice actor made an appearance in _Big Time Rush_?

It's James Arnold Taylor. The voice of Tidus!

In Big Time Rush, he appears as General Manager Taylor of the Palm Woods Hotel in the episode _Big Time Demos. _Who knew?

**Break**

xXx

* * *

**On the Next Episode of _Big Time Final Fantasy_**

_Big Time Rush have been bestowed a great power from within their Crystals._

"Embrace your destinies, Warriors of Light," said Dragon King Bahamut, "Restore the Light to grace, and defeat Darkness."

_But Cosmos has been defeated, and the villains of darkness have gained an advantage…_

"Please… protect the source of the Crystals…" Cosmos begged Warrior of Light Arus as she slowly faded, "…protect… the Warriors…"

"We must move at once!" Lightning ordered her comrades, "Or we'll be too late."

"Oh, child." Primarch Dysley laughed as he floated off into the air, facing Big Time Rush and the OCs, "Perish the thought." His staff shone, summoning Chaos Demons who quickly took over the airship. He then transformed into the fal'Cie Barthandelus.

**…on our next _Big Time Final Fantasy_ episode**

**~Big Time Power~**

* * *

**Author's Note: **Original Characters are still invited. If you want to submit yours, feel free anytime. But only for a limited time. OCs must be a character from the Final Fantasy world. More info in the Cast of Characters chapter.


	6. Ep4: Big Time Power

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

**Author's Note**: In the last chapter, I proposed Mii versions of Big Time Rush and a sneak peek of the upcoming three-part chapter Big Time Ivalice if Big Time Rush were to win the Kids Choice Awards 2011, right?

Well, sadly to say that Big Time Rush didn't win the awards, so there won't be any of that. Better luck next time, America.

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Ep.4: __Big Time Power__**-**_

* * *

The Four Warriors of Light stood there still, their eyes wandering across the vast surrounding they found themselves in. A rain of meteors was spotted nearby, illuminating the empty space with radiance. A swirl of mists flooding the atmosphere as if a pond was between their feet where they were standing and a large sphere coated in a shiny blue skin made up of spots of mahogany brown in various shapes. It was a planet, right below their feet.

It took the guys a moment to realize that they were standing on an invisible floor. It was as if they were suspended between space and their homeworld Planet Earth.

But that wasn't the biggest surprise. They looked a little distance before them to see a thing. It was shaped in a monstrous form, and its entire body was drenched in reddish blood, black charcoal and spots of golden hue, as if it was on fire.

The monstrous form shifted forward, its appearance becoming clear. It had horns. It had teeth pointed down and shaped like sharps knives with crooked dentures. The eyes were narrowed, fierce and flashing of light and thirst for blood. Wings implanted on its back pulled forward and expended enough for its shadow to be casted over it.

That monstrous form was Feral Chaos!

The guys swallowed. They just stood there, staring. It was as if the monster had immobilized them with its demonic stare and they couldn't even move a muscle. The monster's soul-wrenching scream ripped the empty space before it started running toward them on four legs, its wings pulling back and the flames shooting out of the black spots of charcoal like volcano vomiting lava.

The guys finally picked up pace, backing away from the creature and soon their paces turned to running. They ran as fast as they could. They could hear the thumping of their hearts, they could hear their breathing labored, sounding of fear and weeping for help. They ran and ran until their feet felt nothing. The invisible floor had an edge, and they almost fell off it!

They quickly pulled their bodies back before they could fall off the abyss.

They turned around to watch the beast fast approaching, the invisible floor shaking with its thunderous approaches, and its body growing larger and larger until they could feel the beast's hot breath capturing their senses. They had no choice but to…

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Darkness engulfed them and everything spun wildly.

Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan flew their eyes open, and their bodies instantly rose from their beds, covered in sweat, and trying to catch their breaths as if it got knocked out of them. Far from being composed again, they glanced at each other. With their minds still racing, and blended with empathy for each other, it took them a moment to figure out what just happened there.

They all had the same nightmare.

xXx

Tina was getting more and more tensed. The guys were hammering her down with their excessive shouting and complaints as she was crossing down the sky saloon. They were yelling over one another so much that she couldn't even hear the clacking of her footsteps, which usually resounded across the hollow sky saloon.

She finally snapped, "Guys, guys, guys! One guy at a time, please! ONE GUY AT A TIIIIME!"

The guys went silent. She paused for a moment then sniggered in response to her statement, "Ohh, one guy at a time… get it? One guy at a time?"

The guys glared at each other before facing Tina again. "This isn't funny!" James said, "We all had the same dream!"

"A terrifying nightmare! A soul-ripping illusion!" Kendall added.

"There was this…" Logan stammered, "…this… this…"

"…beast!" Carlos finished, and the guys panicked at that response, clamoring over one another.

"Okay, okay." Tina calmed them down, "A beast. And…"

"…and it had horns like…" Logan moved his arms by his head sideways to describe the beast, "yea big."

The guys all nodded in agreement, imitating Logan.

"…and it had teeth like… like …like" Logan moved his fingers down to describe the beast teeth, "yea long."

And the guys agreed again, imitating Logan.

"…and they were sharp like…like…like…"

"…daggers." Carlos finished, "Really… really… looonnng… daggers."

The guys all nodded simultaneously.

Tina pondered in thought, "Hmm… Horns like yea big. Teeth that is long and sharp like daggers…" he gasped, "…and you all have the same dream?"

The guys nodded.

Tina gasped, "You know what this means…? 'Before learning of a destiny, they will all share the same dream.'!"

The guys stared at each other, confused, "Is that supposed to be poetry?" James asked.

"It's another quote from Lukhan's Prophecy!" Tina said. "It means that today is the day you're all gonna finally learn your destiny! Your true mission!"

"Our destiny…?" Logan said, "Oh! You mean the whole Prophecy thing? What we were supposed to do here? The whole defeating evil kinda thing?"

"The whole shindig." Tina said with a smile, "Pretty soon this airship is going to cross the Dragon Caves. We'll stop there. That's where you will meet Bahamut."

"Bahamut?" Kendall asked.

"He's the Dragon King." Tina replied, "He is the one, who will reveal to you the Prophecy. And he will awaken the great power that sleeps within your Crystals! You'll be able to do many things! Isn't that great?"

"I think it's awesome!" Axel popped up in front of the guys and Tina, startling them off.

"OHHHH!" the guys groaned.

"Sheesh. Would you stop doing that?" Kendall complained.

Axel blinked, "Doing what?"

"Popping out of random places like that." Logan said.

Axel faced the readers and said, "I don't know what those guys are talking about? Do you?"

"And stop talking to yourself!" Kendall said, "It's creepy!"

Lightning approached the gang, "We should be arriving at the Dragon Caves in less than a minute." She said. "So we should prepare for landing."

"Okay!" Tina clasped her hands together, "Let's get ready!"

xXx

In an isle somewhere in the middle of the great seas, were found two young men. They were by the beach sands near the endless ocean, lying on their backs and watching the clear blue sky mixing up and making all kind of shapes out of clouds. The wind was fresh but a bit bothersome. But the two boys didn't mind getting slapped by it once a while. The first man had blue hair spiked up and tied in a ponytail, and had crimson eyes. He also wore completely full black and blue dragoon armor and helm. The second man had red bob hair, with piercing green eyes. Unlike his companion, he wore an opened dark-green jacket with the collars popped to reveal his slim muscular chest, a metal necklace with a gold cylinder shape in front, dark skinny jeans and black boots.

The red-haired man finally sat up and let out a huge groan, stretching his arms sideways and making a whining sound, "How long are we gonna have to wait for them? This is getting really oooold…"

"You don't think I don't know that, Jack?" the blue-haired man glared at his comrade from one eye's corner, "I haven't eaten a descent meal in days."

_Grr…Grr…Grr…_ came the sound of the blue-haired man's stomach. He stared sadly at his stomach before gently rubbing it with his hand.

"Even my stomach's hungry." He said.

"Oh!" complained Jack, "YOU don't think I don't know that, Ryuji? MY stomach is hungry too y'know?" he then rubbed his growling stomach as well, _Grr…Grr…Grr… _"So hungry, I think it's eating itself. I'm worried." Then he glared back at Ryuji, as if an idea just clicked in his mind, "Hey, why don't you try cooking that dragon of yours just so that we could get some grub?"

"CRRRYYYAAAYY!" screamed a high-pitched voice, and before Jack knew it, a miniature wyvern about one foot in size and a mixed blend of blue and white color came out of the blue and flapped all around Jack, startling him and freaking him out.

"AAAAHHHH! Gee, stop! Stop! Stop!" Jack whined, "I was just kiddin'!"

Ryuji jumped up to his feet and called on the tiny wyvern, "Shiki, heel!" The wyvern flapped back to its master in response and perched right by his right shoulder, "Dude!" he glared at Jack, "Don't talk about Shiki that way. She's been through a lot y'know?"

Jack sighed, "Don't r'mind me twice."

Ryuji blinked. He noticed something coming from a distance. He squinted to get a closer look. "Huh? What is it?" he approached the border of the beach for an even better look. Jack noticed Ryuji's curiosity and looked up also. He too saw something coming from a distance and went closer to the beach boarder to see. Ryuji's face suddenly lit up at what he saw.

"Hey…" he exclaimed, "…is that…?"

"An airship?" Jack blinked before facing Ryuji, "You don't think…?"

" 'course I do think!" Ryuji exclaimed, "It's their airship!" he waved his hands sideways, "HEEEEYYY! Over 'eeeere!"

Jack joined in, "Whooo-hoooo! C'mon guys! Come out heeere! Some people are hungry 'eeeeerrre!"

The airship finally made its landing into shore and Tina and Chocolate were first to disembark, much to Jack and Ryuji's shock.

"Tina?" Ryuji blinked, before laughing, "…and her accomplice Chocolate. What are you doing here?"

"Well, if it isn't Ryuji and his accomplice Shiki, then I don't know who you are." Tina gloated.

"SKWWAWWK!" Chocolate gloated.

"Okay, that hurts girlfriend. Really." Ryuji said.

"Oh stop it." Tina flipped her hand dismissively.

As Ryuji and Tina were conversing, Kendall who was about ready to disembark along with the others watched the two old friends and traveling companions catching up. Kendall had that disappointed look on his face the entire time he was listening.

"Dude, what's up?" Carlos asked Kendall. Kendall looked back at his friends before watching Ryuji and Tina once more. He shook his head dismissively, "Nothin'." He said, "Just… nothing."

"I thought this airship was for the Four Warriors of Light." Jack said to Tina back on shore, "Where are they?"

"Oh! They're here actually!" Tina said, "Ready to leave the ship! Guys, come on out!" she shouted out.

And right on cue, the boys left the airship and went to greet the other two boys, with Tina introducing them one-by-one to the other.

"Not only they are the Four Warriors of Light," Tina said, "But back in their world, they are hockey players, AND a celebrity music group called Big Time Rush."

"Ohh, a triple threat I see." Ryuji smiled, "Looks like the Prophecy did something good after all. We've been waiting here on this beach since we've heard of your arrival, and here you are, finally at last."

"Yeah… after like what? 17 months of waiting?" Jack frowned.

Ryuji laughed, "Oh, dude," he wrapped his arm around Jack's shoulder, "It's been 17 days Jackie. Sorry guys, but he gets cranky like this when he doesn't have foods in the stomach."

Jack grinned, "Oh?" he crossed his arms, "And what about YOUR stomach?"

Ryuji stifled and shook his head, as if Jack was talking nonsense.

_Grr…Grr…Grr…_

The guys laughed at Ryuji's stomach growling.

"Looks like your stomach haven't gotten any grubs either." James laughed.

"Yeah, I guess…" Ryuji said nervously, scratching his head.

Logan then noticed Shiki, "Ooh! And who is this little guy?" he moved his finger closer to Shiki. Shiki retreated her head back until at one point she spewed fire right onto Logan's face, scorching him charred. Logan blinked. Shiki quickly slipped behind Ryuji and peeked from there, staring and whimpering. The guys laughed at Logan's pain.

"That's a she. Her name is Shiki. My wyvern." Ryuji said, "Hey, sorry about your face, Logan. She's just shy. And she does that every time she's around new people."

James laughed, "She really got your face, Logan!"

Logan grinned back through his blackened face, "Did she now?" he proceeded to wipe the char off his face with a magic handkerchief he got from the Magick sisters. A gift from them to the guys for rescuing them back at Mt. Palamecia, "Hey, would you care to let her do that to your face?" he said to James.

James stopped laughing before his eyes stared back at the bashful adorable wyvern. She only made a sound enough to make James scream "AAAAHH!" and jump behind Logan in hiding. Everyone laughed on cue.

"Okay guys. We don't have time. Shall we get moving and go greet the Dragon King?"

"We shall!" Jack replied in glee, and the guys together said, "Let's go!"

xXx

After hours of walking past the beach, down a cave, straight through an endless hollow hallway with the faintest light and the strongest odor, the entire group finally reached their destination: the chamber of Bahamut.

But the chamber was filled with dragons. A new one for the Big Time Rush gang. They've never been surrounded by dragons before, especially ones that are crimson red in skin, about 12 to 14 feet tall, had spiky tails, flashing eyes with no pupils, and crooked fangs that seems to display a lot of cavities.

"I've never seen so many dragons before." Carlos whispered.

"I know. It's intimidating." Logan replied.

"Do these dragons ever heard of brushing between meals?" James frowned at one dragon's teeth.

"They're animals. They don't know how to brush." Logan whispered.

"But how should you know?" James whispered back, "this is the Final Fantasy. They should learn to brush!"

"Mind your tongue!" a voice hissed, frightening the guys. It was a dragon. And he had overheard them.

"This is the Chamber of the great Bahamut, the Dragon King." The dragon hissed, "Show a little compassion."

"It talks?" Kendall blinked.

VRRROOOM! The dragon's nose shot out smokes. The guys jumped, startled.

"Guys, guys, guys…!" Jack said to the guys, "Please, the dragons must be treated just as much as our elders."

The guys blinked. They then stared back at the dragons before facing Jack again, "Really?"

"Just think of them as either your hockey coach or your record producer." Ryuji said.

"Riiiight…" the guys grinned, already getting the idea of what Ryuji was talking about.

"Sshh… quiet guys." Tina said to the guys, "He's here."

All heads turned to the front. They saw a dragon, curled in a ball of violet and crimson red coloring, comfortably lying on the concrete podium to the far wall, surrounded by lots of swords impaled to the ground and lined up across each other. The monster had spines, scales, claws and wings folded against its mass weight.

Then that same dragon started to uncurl, its wings expanded to reveal tissues of crimson red layers and scale of dark violet, and its long massive head slowly elevated to almost touch the ceiling. Its feet took one single step as he was sitting up, and the entire cave shook up, forcing the guys and Tina to lose their balance. The dragon, finally on its feet, shook its body and let out a deep breath; its nostrils flared and let out a powerful wind gust from it.

_Hhhrrrmmm…._ The dragon fixated its gaze on its visitors, glaring as if they were definitely not welcome.

"Maybe we should just leave." James proposed and the guys collectively agreed, slowly back-pedaling to the exit. Jack, Ryuji and Tina however were not ready to see the guys backed out and objected them to stay, but the guys were not ready to get persuaded.

Then the dragon spoke, "AM I SEEING A LACK OF COURAGE AMONG THESE MEN?"

The guys hesitated. Ryuji, Jack, Tina and Chocolate stepped back into the sidelines.

"LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE MEN OF COURAGE STOOD BEFORE ME. YOUR BRAVERY WOULD HAVE SEEMED WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION. BUT I SEE THAT YOU ARE NOT READY TO FACE THIS WORTHINESS… KENDALL, JAMES, CARLOS AND LOGAN."

The guys looked at each other, eyes wide open. How freaky was it that a dragon knew their names? But what was even freakier was that the dragon seemed to doubt their abilities. They faced the dragon again and made funny disbelieving frowns. "Whaaaa?" They said together, "Nooo…"

"We are NOT lacking courage." Carlos argued.

"Yeah, we are totally courageous!" James agreed.

"Totally agree." Kendall smiled.

"If we were not courageous, Bahamut." Logan said, "Then how come we have managed to defeat Garland, evil Manikins, and a bunch of monsters in a colosseum?"

"True that!" the guys said together.

"HEEY!" one red dragon roared, "It's not Bahamut, it's _Dragon King_ Bahamut to you!"

"Sorry…" the guys said.

"IT'S ALL RIGHT, MY SON." The Dragon King replied, "THEY CAN CALL ME WHENEVER THEY WANT, HOWEVER IT PLEASES."

"Uhh… Bahamut…? I mean, Dragon King?" Kendall said, "We were told that you will tell us our mission here in this Final Fantasy? Is it alright you can tell us now?"

"Kendall." Tina whispered from the sidelines, "You have to be patient. He'll tell you the Prophecy later."

"AHH, SO YOU SPEAK OF THE PROPHECY OF LUKHAN? IS THAT IT?"

The guys responded in agreement.

"I SHALL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW. BUT FIRST, YOU MUST BESTOW UNTO ME AN OFFERING. DO YOU HAVE THE RAT'S TAIL WITH YOU?"

The guys looked at each other, "Rat Tail?" they said.

"Oh, right." Tina stepped out of the sidelines. She pulled out of her small pouch, a rat tail, and placed it to Logan's hand, "Sorry, guys. Here you go."

Logan stared at the tail then back at Tina, "Where did you get this?"

"Oh, remember when you guys went to fetch ingredients for Matoya's Crystal Eye, the Rat Pelt? Yeah, it had a tail so I had to yank it for such occasion. Smart, huh?"

The guys jittered just thinking about the whole Crystal Eye deal. What a nasty experience this had been. Logan slowly stepped forward Bahamut and tried to hand it to Bahamut. But the dragon stared at the tail then back at Logan. Logan quickly got the message and placed the tail on the ground instead.

The Dragon's eyes flashed up and the rat tail slowly hovered up in midair. The guys watched in amazement.

"THE RAT'S TAIL YOU CARRY IS A FITTING TOKEN OF COURAGE AND STRENGTH… SO BE IT… FROM THIS OFFERING INTO YOUR CRYSTALS, I SHALL BESTOW UPON YOU TITLES BEFITTING YOUR VALOR. PLEASE STEP FORWARD."

The guys stepped forward.

The Dragon King closed his eyes and began speaking in tongue and at his ferocious roared, its wings spread up high and a powerful light, a negative light, suddenly overwhelmed the entire cave, and everything went into slow motion.

The guys watched four flickers of golden light shooting out from the dragon's wings. The lights looked very similar to the Hearts from _Kingdom Hearts, _except they were gold and instead of being heart-shaped they were sphere shaped. The lights dashed toward the guys' Crystal, one-by-one, striking them, and forcing the crystal light to take over their bodies from head to toe, enveloping them in a soft warmth and penetrating right through their systems.

The light vanished and that feeling as well was gone. The guys felt no more different than that strange magic going into them. But when they looked and noticed each other's impression, it was a different story.

Kendall donned a silver vest adorned with gold trims to the edges, silver trousers and knee high boots, an ivory cape and a silver sword tucked to his belt and a platinum circlet resting on his forehead. An outfit fit for a prince.

James sported a violet trenchcoat with a tail that reached down his ankles, a blue vest underneath with black edges, long cargo pants and matching knee high boots. Attached to his belt were two nunchunks and armguards fitting on his knuckles past his wrists.

Carlos wore a ruby-colored Genji helmet with a veil to cover most his face, safe his eyes. He also had on black ninja gears with a ruby vest crossing his chest, and ninja tabis. Similar outfit to the ninjas in Mortal Kombat; but with a translucent scarf tucked around his neck. His weapons were a masamune, dozen Shurikens and two pairs of jackknives.

Logan had on a silver tunic with opened collars on and black trousers to match an oversize wizard robe and cape ensemble of ebony color and golden edges and spiked gold shoes. His staff had been replaced by a small portable yet fancy spellbook, with a hardcover of exquisite sapphire glow and ancient yet properly designed parchment papers with well-trimmed scripts of ancient spells—scriptures in another language. Logan peeked at the writings and knew it was written in Latin.

"YOU NO LONGER NEED YOUR STAFF FOR YOUR MAGICAL PURPOSES, LOGAN." Bahamut informed him, "THIS BOOK, THOUGH SMALL IN SIZE, COVERS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS FOR THE BATTLES AHEAD; INCLUDING MAPS OF YOUR UPCOMING DESTINATIONS AND A BESTIARY RECORDING OF YOUR FOES FROM ALL KINDS."

Kendall suddenly laughed, "Yeah, but what's with the giant hat?" he pointed and everyone who noticed it laughed also. Logan glanced up and took a glimpse of his hat. A wizard hat as gold as his shoes, but ridiculously oversized enough that he could swore he saw its tag inside. He felt totally ridiculous with that thing on, "Ohh, really?"

The guys laughed out loud.

"BE AS AMUSED AS YOU CAN, YOUNG WARRIORS OF LIGHT." Bahamut said, "FOR THIS HAT WOULD PROVE YOU ALL AS FOOLISH AS ITS BEARER THROUGHOUT UPCOMING GENERATIONS."

"Huh?" the guys cocked their heads on one side.

"He means that I'm smarter than you guys are, wearing this hat." Logan clarified.

The guys simply stared. They were about to say something provocative when Logan quickly said, "Don't say it!"

xXx

Back in the Big Time Airship,

"Tina! Welcome back!" Valerie greeted her friend back in the airship's sky saloon. Tina had to leave the Dragon Caves along with Jack and Ryuji so that she can give the guys their time alone with Bahamut.

"Mmm-Hmh! And who are these hunkies?" Fate licked her lower lip at the sight of Jack and Ryuji.

"This is my traveling companion and his partner, Ryuji, his wyvern Shiki, and Jack." Tina introduced, "Guys, these are Aria, Fate, and Valerie; aka the Magick Sisters."

"Aww…" Valerie squealed at the sight of the chibi-sized wyvern, "She's so cute!" she reached her hand toward the wyvern and before Ryuji could warn her about the wyvern, Shiki closed her eyes and purred at the gentle touch of the black mage.

"Wow…" Ryuji gasped, "I'm surprised she likes you."

"…yeah." Valerie blushed, "I've raised baby wyverns back in my village a long time ago."

"So, Sisters huh?" Jack grinned from ear to ear, glancing left and right at the three girls, "So which one should I date?"

"Err…" Aria grinned nervously, "we're not really sisters." She said, "That's just a nickname we came up with."

"Either way!" Jack exclaimed.

Tina looked around. Someone was missing, "Hey, where's Reina?"

"She left with Lightning and Axel." Aria replied, "…they said something about reuniting with the heroes from the 12th Cycle of War?" she looked back at her sisters who nodded in agreement.

Tina sighed, "It's too bad they left. I hope they'll be back soon. So the guys and us can help us in this war."

"So, they did it huh?" Fate asked, "They've finally met Bahamut and learned of the Prophecy."

"Not… exactly." Ryuji said. All heads turned to his direction. "Bahamut had tempered their Crystals' powers and dismissed us to our premises, so that he can have time to tell them the Prophecy and what will happen." Ryuji furrowed his brow, "They need time to digest what they are about to learn."

Tina let out a big sigh, "I know." She then looked down, "…but I'm nervous."

All heads turned to her direction. "Nervous about what?" Jack asked.

"The Prophecy." Tina responded, "I'm not nervous about their response to it… but according to it, they all had the same dream before realizing their mission. But it wasn't any dream expected in past generation."

"What do you mean?" Aria asked.

Tina looked back at the girls and the two guys, "The dream that they had… it was a nightmare."

xXx

WHEN DARKNESS VEILS THE WORLD, FOUR WARRIORS OF LIGHT SHALL COME. IF THEY CANNOT GATHER THE SHARDS OF LIGHT, THE DARKNESS WILL CONSUME ALL… BEFORE LEARNING OF A DESTINY, THEY WILL ALL SHARE THE SAME DREAM… MAY IT BE PLEASANT, THE END SHALL BE CONSTRUCTIVE… DISPLEASANT, THE END… SHALL BE DESTRUCTIVE.

The guys looked at each other before facing Bahamut.

"What does that mean?" Kendall asked.

IT MEANS MANY THINGS. IT MEANS ONE THING. BUT WHAT IT DOES MEAN HOWEVER IS THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED THE FINAL CYCLE OF WAR.

"Huh?"

LONG, LONG AGO, THE GODDESS OF HARMONY COSMOS AND THE GOD OF DISCORD CHAOS HAVE BEEN IN EQUAL CONFLICT FOR THE FATE OF THE WORLDS. ALL WORLDS. THEY HAVE CHOSEN FROM WITHIN THIS UNIVERSE, UNIQUE WARRIORS TO FIGHT BY THEIR SIDE. AND IN EVERY CYCLE OF WAR, ONLY ONE OF THESE GODS HAS PREVAILED OVER THE OTHER.

"And what happened to the losing god?" Logan asked.

THEY HAVE PERISHED. ALONGSIDE THEIR WARRIORS. BUT THEN AGAIN, THEY WERE GIVEN BACK ANOTHER LIFE AND ANOTHER POWER TO SUMMON MORE WARRIORS; IN WHICH ON OCCASION, THEY WERE ABLE TO SUMMON VETERAN WARRIORS AGAIN FROM PREVIOUS WARS, JUST AS LONG AS THEY HAVE NOT FALLEN INTO THE CLUTCHES OF MANIKINS, AND THE MEMORIES FROM THEIR OLD LIVES WERE BANISHED FROM THEIR MINDS. THE MANIKINS ARE THESE CREATURES ABLE TO DRAW THESE WARRIORS FROM THEIR WORLDS TO THE WORLD OF THE GODS TO FIGHT FOR THEM.

Bahamut huffed before going on, "IN LUKHAN'S PROPHECY, IT IS SAID THAT THE FOUR WARRIORS OF LIGHT AND THEIR CRYSTALS OF LIGHT SHALL BE THE KEY TO END THE ENDLESS CYCLE OF WAR. 13 WARS HAVE PASSED BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL, AND IN THE LAST WAR, THE WARRIORS OF COSMOS HAVE PREVAILED. BUT THIS… IS THE 14TH CYCLE OF WAR. AND THIS WAR WILL DETERMINE THE ULTIMATE END OF ONE GOD.

"So… our mission is to fight for one god and defeat the other god with our Crystal powers?" Kendall asked before smiling, "Easy! We choose Cosmos!"

"Cosmos!" Logan agreed.

"Totally Cosmos!" James agreed.

"Cosmos it is!" Carlos agreed.

"A WISE CHOICE." Bahamut said, "BUT BEWARE, ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. FOR YOU NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR THE PROPHECY OF DARKNESS. SUCH PROPHECY I DO NOT KNOW NOR CAN I INTERPRET IT. BUT IT IS SAID THAT SUCH PROPHECY DECLARES THAT YOU, FOUR WARRIORS OF LIGHT, SHALL PUT AN END TO LIGHT AND HARMONY INSTEAD OF DARKNESS AND DISCORD. YOU MUST NOT PERMIT THIS. YOU MUST NOT LET YOUR ACTIONS LEAD TO SUCH STRIFE. BE VERY CAREFUL, NEVER TO COHORT WITH ANYTHING EVIL AND QUESTIONABLE.

Bahamut paused once again with a deep breathing, "BUT THAT IS NOT ALL THAT IS STIFLING. AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, YOUR PRESENCE IN THE FINAL FANTASY MARKS THE FINAL CYCLE OF BATTLE. AND IT IS WITH GREAT PAIN TO DISCLOSE TO YOU… THAT ONCE YOUR MISSION IS COMPLETE… THAT IF DARKNESS LOSES ITS EXISTENCE, LIGHT, AS VERY WELL, WILL TOO LOSE ITS EXISTENCE."

The guys once again stared at each other, not liking where this is going.

"Wh-what do you mean, Light will lose its existence?" Logan asked.

"LIGHT CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT DARKNESS. FOR LIGHT WAS CREATED WITHIN DARKNESS. AND BOTH ENTITIES HAVE FORMED THE WORLDS BEFORE US. SO THEREFORE, WITHOUT LIGHT AND DARKNESS, ALL THAT EXISTS, INCLUDING YOU AND YOUR WORLD WILL PERISH."

"WHAT?" The guys exclaimed.

"Wh-wha-wait! What are you tryin' to say exactly?" James exclaimed, "That even if we defeat Chaos we will still die? OUR WORLD will DIE TOO?"

"FOR IT IS THE END OF ALL."

"So our chance for us to go back home is…" Logan said before he and his comrades exchanged worried looks.

"Bahamut, you can't do this." Kendall argued, "You can't just tell us, or force us to fight a fight for the fate of the world, only to have that world and everyone in it die in the end. That's a losing battle!"

"And how can we get to see our loved ones again?" Carlos argued, "This has to be a dream."

"It better be a dream!" James argued before giving himself a good countless slaps on the face as if trying to wake up.

"James…? James, stop it! James! JAMES!" The guys quickly restrained James from slapping himself any longer. James abruptly stopped, fuming at the revelation.

"I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION, WARRIORS." Bahamut said, "ALAS, YOU CAME INTO THIS UNIVERSE AND CAN NO LONGER CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY. YOU CANNOT RETURN FROM THE UNIVERSE BACK INTO YOUR OWN, SO AS LONG AS YOU'VE FULFILLED YOUR PROPHECY. THE PROPHECY OF LIGHT."

The guys shook their heads in disbelief.

"BUT I SHALL SAY TO YOU TO EMBRACE YOUR DESTINIES, WARRIORS OF LIGHT. RESTORE THE LIGHT TO GRACE, AND DEFEAT DARKNESS."

A warm glow suddenly overwhelmed the guys and their Warrior of Light outfits vanished. They were now back into their regular modern day outfits.

"THE POWER WITHIN THE CRYSTALS CAN NOW BE UNLEASHED WHENEVER YOU CAN. BUT BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERUSE THIS POWER. NOW GO, YOUR DESTINY AWAITS YOU."

xXx

There was silence on board the airship. All eyes were still staring at Tina at the gathering table after she had mentioned the guys' dreams, and all seemed to be awaiting some sort of explanation from her.

Finally Jack said, "Okay you're scaring me, girl. What kind of nightmare?"

Tina shrugged, "I don't know." She glanced back at her comrades, "Something about a beast they encountered in some sort of parallel dimension… and guys, I would really appreciate it if you don't stare at me like that too much. It's distracting."

The gang briefly retreat their glances.

_Ring-Ring! Ring-Ring!_

Everyone looked alerted.

"What is that?" asked Valerie.

"Oh! That's the Kendall's cellphone." Tina pulled out an iPhone from her pocket, "He left it to me in my care. He should be calling right…" she froze, staring at the caller ID picture. There was no picture and it says '?-?-?'

"What the feathers?"

She picked it up.

"CHILD!" barked a very familiar voice. Tina rolled her eyes, already guessing who it was.

"It's your teacher, Matoya!" the witch said, not bothering to read Tina's mind that she knew who was calling.

"Matoya…" Tina sighed, "What are you doing? Why are you calling on Kendall's cellphone… and how do you know how to even make a call on a phone?"

"Child, I know a lot." Matoya said on the other line, "And I don't have a cellphone. I'm calling you from my cauldron! Sheesh, why do I wanna shift what I like to do to what you kids like to do?"

The sisters and Jack sniggered. Ryuji stared about, and Shiki and Chocolate cocked their heads on one side.

"It's important!" Matoya barked again, "Whether you're alone or not, just meet me back to my cave… where it is safe."

Tina frowned. Where it is safe, she repeated. The gang looked at each other, puzzled by the witch's words. Once again she rolled her eyes and said, "All right. If you say so." She hung up, put Kendall's phone back to the table, and readied her staff, "Well…" she glanced at Chocolate who simply nodded, and back at the group, "I gotta go. Don't wanna keep the _witchling_ waiting."

"Don't hurry." Jack said with a smile. Tina summoned her magical sigil under her feet again and in a beam of light she vanished.

And right on cue, the guys dashed back into the airship, looking all worried and panicked. At the same time they were out of breath. They saw the gang at the gathering table and quickly joined them.

"Well, you guys sure are exhausted." Aria commented.

"Where… is Tina?" Kendall asked.

"You just missed her."

"Weren't you supposed to call her?" Jack waved to Kendall his iPhone before tossing it to him. He caught it. "Well, THANK you very much for reminding me."

"Hey, it's not our fault we forgot to call." James argued, "Remember that so-called Destiny everybody's been talking about!"

The gathering at the table leaned toward the boys interestingly, "YEAHH! ANND?"

"It's horrible." Carlos said.

The gathering's face fell.

"Seriously guys, what's the point on saving a world that was meant to be destroyed anyway?" Logan argued.

"And it's not just this world." Kendall added, before glancing back at his comrades, "It's our world."

"And we have so much life ahead of us!" Carlos added, "We got our dreams of singing to focus…"

"…we got a family to think about raising…" Logan added.

"…and I got this face," James showed his face, "…to be exposed by millions of spotlights!"

"…and we wanna grow old and retire, and enjoy all those little boring things old people like to do." Kendall added.

The guys and the Magick sisters all stared back at Kendall.

"Yeah, I said it!" Kendall said.

Ryuji shook his head, "I understand where you guys are coming from. We felt the exact same way too when we left behind the ones we loved and our dreams."

Shiki squealed, nodding in agreement.

"…but you can't change Destiny." Jack said, "Cosmos has chosen you guys, and us too to fight this war; and we won't be able to return to our regular lives till we achieve our goals." He sighed, trying to shake that dark feeling of world destruction, "…even if it means the end to all."

There was a brief silence among the gathered group.

Logan shrugged, "I guess we have no choice, but to go for destiny."

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I don't like it." James said. He then added with a smile, "…but I do kinda like this new outfit we got. Spiffy hot!"

The guys cheerfully agreed before snapping the Crystals off their necklaces and with their hands on the crystals tugged their arms in the air and struck battle poses. "IN LIGHT! BIG TIME RUSH UNITE!"

Their regular forms shifted to their Warriors of Light forms, donning the outfits Bahamut blessed them with earlier. Their Crystals returned to their necklaces and they showed off their outfits like fashion models. The girls' eyes lit up at their new do. The guys blushed green with envy.

"Wow, you guys are mighty fine!" Fate's eyes glittered.

"Aww, poor Tina is missing this!"

"You guys are like supermodels twins Vanille and Pistache! Only guys and muscular… Mhm! I LOVE 'EM!" Aria squealed.

"Oh girls. Why vying for something you can't have," Jack said, smiling, "…when you can have me."

But the girls were too busy staring at the guys. "Girls?" he called out again but no response. Ryuji placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and said, "Cheer up man. There's always the next girl."

xXx

Warrior of Light heard noises after noises circling about him as he was waking up from his unconsciousness. He doesn't remember how long he was out, but he knew the Sanctuary wasn't safe anymore after a huge force knocked him out cold from behind. His supposed meeting with the goddess and her heroes came into a shrieking interruption and got replaced by the noise of shouts and shrieks and the clashing of swords and blades and the explosive fireworks of magic.

He witnessed his comrades and the heroes of Cosmos fighting desperately against a crowd of Manikins and horrible creatures of shape and sizes to assist them. Warrior of Light noticed the insignia on the creature's forehead and he left his heart jump off his throat at the realization of their identities.

"Chaos Demons!" he cried and taking a great leap off his feet, dashed at them into a fight. A Minotaur noticed him. It had Onion Knight Luneth at his grasp and dropped him before charging. Warrior of Light swung his blade, striking the Minotaur at the forehead, shattering the Chaos insignia in the process like a glass. The Minotaur let out a painful cry and landed on the puddle ground in a loud thug. Then he swung his sword again at an incoming Gargoyle and a Manikin the shape of Cecil. Before the Manikin could attack, Cecil came at it with a sword strike right on him, shattering his Crystal-made body in the process the Manikin flew to the ground and Cecil landed on his feet to face the Warriors.

"Arus! Help Cosm—!" he got quickly distracted by a Centaur with an axe. The Centaur and Cecil clashed blades, the attacks quickly flashed across each other. The Centaur too had the insignia on his forehead. Now up close the Chaos Demons were more terrifying than expected. They were enveloped in a crimson red aura that looked like smoke emitting from their rotting flesh. Their pupiless eyes were painted in blood and their teeth were –as Carlos described Feral Chaos earlier in this chapter—really long daggers.

"Help Cosmos!" Cecil quickly finished his sentence, before swinging his blade across and managed to knock the centaur's axe off his grasp. But before he could swing downward, the centaur raised his front hooves and kicked Cecil sending him flying to a wall rush.

Warrior of Light over to his right and saw more of his comrades fighting the uninvited guests of the Sanctuary. Cloud and Squall together clashed with mad horses and wyverns. Tidus, Zidane, and Bartz dealt with zombies and ghouls. And Firion and Terra sent their magic to keep the Manikins at bay. But there was no sign of Cosmos.

Warrior of Light began to fear the worst. Something has happened to her. Something terrible. His mind was racing as his fierce eyes peered across the war-waging Sanctuary, trying to identify the goddess. At least a lock of her golden holy hair, he desperately thought. But nothing.

It was then that he noticed a brilliant light from eye's corner. He twirled and there she was, gracefully floating above her throne once more, ready to eradicate her enemies with her power. But the Warrior of Light feared the consequences. When she did that, two wars ago, she almost lost all her powers and her life. He was actually surprised that he remembered that moment, but he did.

"COSMOS!" he called out.

The fair goddess hasn't casted her spell yet when a Manikin the shape of Warrior of Light launched himself at her from behind. The Warrior cried out once more, "COSMOS!" and rushed to her. He was only halfway to her reach when he noticed more Manikins piling up on her and giving her a beating with their swords and magic. His feet got faster at running to his goddess, but he couldn't get any faster. His movements in fact felt like they were slowing down and his reach wasn't getting closer to Cosmos. Before he knew it he felt a blade draw right through his armor and sliced open his spine. He cried out in pain and tumbled to the ground and then more Manikins jumped at him. He cried out again, "COSMOS!"

With his one good hand still holding on to his sword, he held it up high—!

xXx

The Big Time Airship was once again airborne into the Final Fantasy skies. The rest of the day had turned out to be quiet, though it was shortcoming, as the guys' Crystals necklace slowly lifted up at a 90 degree angle. Everyone stared.

"What's going on?" Carlos asked.

Before anyone could answer a sudden radiance began to emanate from the Crystals; shimmering and turning translucent in shiny colored lights of goldenrod, aquamarine, ruby and emerald. The lights swallowed the whole ship in its radiant blinding fog, forcing everyone to shield their eyes in shock…

The light vanished and everything cleared up. The guys' outfits were gone, back to their regular clothes. Waves of shock and confusion wash through the group, each one of them stared at each other like…

"What just happened?" Jack blinked.

The four best friends were speechless.

xXx

The same radiant wave of light came into the sky and suddenly enveloped the entire Sanctuary in its same radiance. The Chaos Demons and the Manikins shrieked painful cries in the process and the heroes had shielded their eyes and also a few had to drop on their knees in utter shock…

The holy light vanished and the monsters were gone. The Manikins were nowhere to be found. It was as though they have been banished by that light.

The heroes stared at each other, shock and confusion washed over them just as much as the others back on the Big Time Airship.

"What just happened?" Tidus asked, blinking.

Before anyone could answer, they turned to Cosmos, whose attention they just caught once they heard her fainting weak cry.

"Cosmos!" everyone rushed to her side. She was sitting on her throne, hunched over one side, and holding on her arm as if in pain. The heroes could see in her eyes that she was not looking well at all. In fact she was dying. And they noticed it the moment they saw bits of her light emitting from her, and her face, arms, legs were starting to disintegrate.

"No… Cosmos…" Zidane gasped.

"Please Cosmos… don't leave…" Terra cried.

"We can't make it without you…" Firion exclaimed.

"You can't just vanish… you just can't…" Bartz begged.

"I'm sorry…" she gasped, "…I'm sorry… everyone…"

There was a tense moment of silence. Everyone felt like grieving as their goddess was slowly vanishing.

"The light…" Cosmos said, "…the light that took out these monsters… I know that light…" her hands holding on to Warrior of Light had vanished.

"Goddess, you shouldn't have used that light…!" Cecil said, jumping to conclusion.

Cosmos shook her head, "No." she said, "It was not me… it was the Warriors… the Four Warriors of Light…" she smiled faintly, "…they did it… they've reached Bahamut… learned of their destinies… and gained their full powers…"

"Goddess…" Warrior of Light said, almost in a whisper. Her disintegrated body has reached her face. She looked right into him, her sad eyes reflecting his brave ones, "…Arus…" she called him, "…everyone…please…" she begged, "…protect the Four Warriors of Light… please…protect…Big…Time…r…Rush… … … …"

And just like that her eyes, the only ones left, vanished into sparkling dusts and the goddess was no more. The defeated warriors stood there, appalled, shocked and fearing the outcome.

"Oh my god…" Tidus gasped, "Our goddess is dead! We're gonna disappear now are we?" he stared at the Warrior of Light Arus, who didn't return the gaze nor responded to his inquiry. The Warrior stood up on his feet, his eyes still fixed on where Cosmos used to sit.

"Tell me!" Tidus shouted at him, "Are we gonna disappear too? ARE WE?"

"Tidus. Now is not the time." Squall said to him solemnly.

"Not the time?" he barked, "Oh, sure! Now is the not-so-PERFECT time! We're her Warriors for goddess's sake! Now without her we're NOTHING!"

"But you're not." Spoke a voice from behind the heroes. Startled they all turned around. But then they saw no one. But before a second's up, they saw the person who was speaking earlier materializing before them like a ghost. Donning a black armor, horn helmet and a large cape that reached down his heel, all in black with gold and violet trimmings, the figure approached the group, his feet gracefully gliding five feet from the ground.

The heroes drew their weapons and posed for combat, already sensing the newcomer was no hero of them.

"Golbez!" Cecil said his name, as if he knew him, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sure he's here for a beating." Cloud said, eyes narrowed at him.

Golbez chuckled, then with a slight scoff he said, "I'm not here to fight you. Just to give you're a warning. If I were you, I would go find your comrades before it is too late for all of you."

Zidane cocked his head on one side, "That's not a word of warning. That's a word of advice." He said.

"What are you talking ab—!"

"The Crystals." Golbez said, interrupting Arus, "The Four Wielders of the Crystals of Light. The true and only essences to bring back your goddess. These Crystals can do more than just eliminate… if it chose to exercise its further power ever further that is."

"What are you saying exactly?" Firion asked Golbez curiously, "Are you saying that Cosmos isn't really gone?"

"Just as long as these Four Warriors of Light still shine bright, then I can be certain. Merely." Golbez now spoke in hint, "but a word of warning: if you want this fight to be a fair game, and bring your goddess back into the game, you need to survive the game. And to order to survive the game… protect your own pawns. And where are your pawns? On their way to eternity."

Golbez vanished with his chuckling trailing behind.

"What the hell is he talking about?" Tidus said.

Arus's eyes suddenly went wide in utter realization, "Oh no…" he gasped.

The group all looked alert. "What? What is it?" Onion Knight Luneth asked.

"The Four Warriors of Light… Protect Big Time Rush…" Arus's head shifted up again in utter shock and fear, "Their Crystals are what would bring back Cosmos!" he faced his comrades, "Golbez is right! It's no wonder we haven't vanished!"

"But the Goddess said we have to protect them!" Terra said.

"So the Goddess is not really dead?" Tidus asked.

"Yes and no!" Arus responded, "But unless we don't get to them in time, we'll disappear as well, and we'll lose this final battle forever! It'll be the end of us all!" and with full determination he cried out, "LET'S MOVE OUT!"

The Heroes took off from the Sanctuary.

xXx

Back in the Airship, Ryuji suddenly felt inexplicably uneasy and glanced over his shoulder with that searching look in his eyes, as if he heard someone came in.

"What?" Jack asked his friend, noticing the gaze, "What's wrong?"

Before he could answer, an infrared light suddenly started flicking on and off, and immediately a strident alarming shriek followed, alerting everyone on the ship.

_WARNING! WARNING! SKY DECK BREACH!_

_VILLAIN OF DARKNESS ALERT!_

_VILLAIN OF DARKNESS ALERT!_

"What's going on?" Carlos asked.

"Villain of Darkness alert!" Fate responded.

"Come on!" the heroes took off running to the Sky Deck. Once there they stopped and peered about to see a bunch of Zus, buzzing over the deck like they own the place.

"Aaah!" Logan freaked out, "What is that?"

"A Zu!" Jack exclaimed, pulling out his weapon, "Gigantic black bird with lizard heads!"

"Hope they're not the monsters in your visions guys!" Aria said.

"Monsters?" James laughed nervously, "Oh-oh! It was one monster, and it was HUGE."

"Take position, guys!" Kendall said and everyone readied their weapons. The guys took their Crystals and struck battle poses.

"IN LIGHT! BIG TIME RUSH UNITE!"

Their regular forms shifted back to their Warriors of Light forms; and this time they were glowing, Ex-Mode Style.

The Zus attacked. Kendall dashed at one Zu, delivering his Ex-Burst: Hockey Finish. He struck across the Zu's body four times. "Y'Ready for the big finale?" He then delivered his final strike very similar to Warrior of Light, sending the Zu flying right through the fourth wall, smacking on it like a Hockey victim.

Another Zu attacked James, but James dodged and whacked the creature's chin with a nunchunk uppercut, then delivered his ex-Burst: Awesome Dream. A piano showed up in the middle of nowhere and with every note he played, summoned a meteor shower striking down his enemy. "And for the big finish—! _Crescendo!_" He played all across the piano keys and multiple meteors rained down on the Zu like an ultimate-hit combo, with a massive meteor landing the final explosive strike!

Carlos delivered his ex-Burst on another Zu: Helm's Blast. He attacked the Zu similar to Prishe's Ex-Burst, by summoning five daggers to surround the opponent then dashed to each dagger and kicked it to the Zu, striking it. He then finished by sporting his helmet, gave it a good tap and launched himself into the air at full-speed, Kain's ex-Burst's style, "Check out the power of the Helmet!" he flipped several times until he was facing head forward to his opponent, driving his powerful headbutt right through the creature, consuming the creature in a massive explosion.

Logan's ex-Burst: Wizard's Star, boosted his new magical book into a massive 10 pound tome. He floated in the air with the book and as the pages of the book began to flip, he pointed at the Zu, "Fall down to the mightiness and strikes of all magic!" he shouted, casting a range of Firaja, Thundaja, Blizzaja, Flare, Meteor, and finally Holy in the process. He then finished with Ultima. "Ultima, strike em' down!" he clasped his hands together and pointed two fingers like a gun and a powerful beam of light shot from the fingers, eradicating the Zu into a massive explosion.

About eight Zus had fallen to the Warriors' power, crashing to the deck completely charred. The rest of the Zu Army noticed their comrades down and fled in fear.

"We did it!" Carlos cheered and everyone cheered along.

_[Final Fantasy victory fanfare + BTR 'Famous' victory fan—]_

_VILLAIN OF DARKNESS ALERT!_

_VILLAIN OF DARKNESS ALERT!_

The entire airship started shaking in addition.

"But we got rid of those creatures!" Logan exclaimed.

"There are no more villains of darkness in here." Jack replied.

"No, child."

A voice spoke, cutting through the air like a chilly altitude coming from above. All heads turned upward to the voice and watched a ghostly figure forming from thin air into a human being. Its feet slowly stepped on the deck.

It was an old man. An aged, craggy expressionless face that carried with him a staff of blessings with one hand, and donned a very pious outfit fit for a pope. The newcomer's pale hazel eyes stared steadily on the guys.

"_I_ am a Villain of Darkness."

Everyone stared back edgily and wordlessly, "An old man?" Carlos squinted.

The craggy face tightened. His feet suddenly left the ground and was once again suspended in midair. The guys alertly shifted backward, watching the pope's staff charging a ball of light till it was the size of a moon. The unknown villain swung his staff around. A multitude of light balls suddenly began to scatter off the massive ball of light and one by one struck Aria, Fate, Valerie, Jack, Ryuji and Shiki hard, sending their injured selves into a wall rush like speeding trains.

The guys watched their comrades fall unconscious; their hearts raced, and their feet unable to take one more backward step. Their eyes met the crazy pope's once again.

"Four Warriors of Light…" the pope smiled, his feet landing right on the deck, "Was expecting a bunch of weaklings, but with that show you've just performed on these birds, I must applaud you. Now…" he extended his hand toward his enemies and bended his fingers, "…show me your true power…"

As if at will, the guys morphed back into their Warriors of Light forms, pulled out their weapons and posed for combat.

"I don't wanna hit an old man." Logan said, and the guys nodded in agreement, reluctantly standing guard.

The pope bought a cold smile and the smile gradually turned to laughter once again. His feet suddenly left the ground and he was once again airborne. The guys alertly staggered backward.

"Oh child. Perish the thought. But if you insist, I shall strike you instead."

The pope's image split into multiple forms and completely cornered the guys. Kendall whizzed around only to get struck by the pope's staff. The pope then appeared behind James and landed a blow. The pope showed up behind Carlos and swung his staff, sending him flying. Then he surprised Logan from behind and after a brief pause, struck hard on him to the ground. They returned to their regular forms.

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" The pope laughed out loud, jabbed his staff to the ground and a massive sigil drew on the ground overwhelming the airship. The boys didn't have the chance to fully recover when they saw the sigil glowing and suddenly a burst of light took over, overwhelming them in pain. They went down on their knees again.

"STOP!"

The pope looked over his enemies and saw Lightning, Kain, along with Laguna Loire and Tifa Lockhart stepping in between the guys and himself. They pulled out their weapons and posed for combat.

"Leave them alone Dysley!" Lightning hissed, pointing her gunblade at him, "This isn't your fight!"

"Not my fight?" Dysley said skeptically. He glanced around to the four newcomers and snorted, "Oh you poor immature fool. They already know their destinies. So technically this is our fight, and we now have plenty of opportunities to finish them."

"Then you'd have to go through us first!" Laguna readied his machine gun and fired. His bullets flew straight into Dysley but right through him like a ghost. Laguna stared in disbelief, "Wh—! It's not working!"

The pope teleported behind Laguna and struck him down to the ground.

"Laguna!" Tifa and Lightning gasped.

"FLIGHT!" Kain launched into the air and descended on the pope with his Jump attack. The pope dodged, waved his staff in circles and pointed. A blast of wind sent Kain flying to a wall.

Tifa seized her chance to strike the pope from behind, but he vanished. She stopped, looking around. She then saw him rocketing toward her with his heels on her back, pinning her hard to the ground. Lightning flew toward the landing pope and swung with her gunblade. Dysley flew upward and Lightning watched him, locking him on target. She aimed her gunblade at him and fired. The pope's image flickered and Lightning started seeing doubles.

"No…" she stopped firing, losing focus on her real target. All popes let go of their staffs and they danced around them as they tugged their arms toward Lightning and beams of light shot from their palms. The beams wavered together into one powerful beam and struck Lightning hard, causing a mass explosion that sent the deck into a large jolt and a following violent shake.

The airship was losing altitude, but there was no one to stop its downward fall to oblivion. Everyone was knocked out cold by the evil pope.

"Feast your eyes on your end, Warriors of Cosmos, for I am Barthandelus!" the pope flew once again into the air.

The pope's body changed into a burlesque, bronze god-like creature with alien markings, gold linings and four face-masks grafted to his sides. Its massive face in the middle had pupiless eyes and an eerie smile with teeth like daggers and a metallic shell like an armadillo. Its claws grated on the falling airship's ground as if bracing itself. Its pupiless eyes flashed red, and morphing out of the blue like ghosts in red apparitions were more Zus. This time, the Zu were no longer in their regular violet forms but were in ebony black and had the Chaos insignia on their foreheads.

"WITNESS MY TRUE GODLY POWER, AS I DESCEND UPON YOU THE DEMONS OF CHAOS! FOR WE SHALL SHARE A FEAST OF YOUR DEMISE AND I SHALL MAKE YOU ALL MY SLAVES!" The fal'Cie barked.

"No…" Kendall struggled onto his feet. The Zus saw their opportunities to attack.

"We are not—!" he swung his blade at the charging Zu, "…bowing down…" he swung again, striking yet another Zu, "…to the likes of YOU!" his Crystal overwhelmed him and he returned to his Warrior of Light form. The light took out more charging Zus. Managing to stay on his toes he hurried toward Barthandelus and hailed his assault of sword slashes on the fal'Cie's face, but every strike he delivered ricocheted like a sturdy metal.

_WITNESS THE POWER OF THE FAL'CIE!_

Kendall quickly lost energy, his eyes flickered to a close and was about to fall down on his knees when James, Carlos and Logan came out of the blue and caught him just in time. They too appeared in the same bad shape as Kendall was but they had managed to stay on their toes as well.

"Kendall!" James called out to his friend, but he was too exhausted to even utter a response.

"You're okay buddy?" Carlos asked.

_HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!_

"We're here for you man!" Logan said, before staring at the fal'Cie before them, "We're not going down without a fight!"

The Zu shrieked from a distance, catching everyone's attention. They quickly lost their balance and finally noticed, at that moment, that the airship was falling.

"Actually, we are going down…!" Carlos panicked.

_YOU'RE FINISHED!_

Barthandelus slammed its massive palms to the ground, rocking the airship again. Its snakelike neck stretched upward and the shell on its back snapped open to reveal its naked form. The fal'Cie moved his head back down, closing its eyes. And its shoulders emitted a bright light. It was charging its ultimate move: Destrudo! It stood there, frozen as he began charging his devastating attack.

"What's it doing?" James yelled.

Shrriiieeek!

The Zus charged on the guys again, distracting their attention from Barthandelus. They flew upward and downward, then around in circles. James and Carlos tried swinging their weapons at them, while at the same time holding on to the unconscious Kendall and keeping their balances. But the Zus took that advantage to knock them off balance and knock their weapons off. They dashed at them, but they blocked with their only defenseless arms. Logan kept the Zus off his comrades with his slew of Firaga, Thundaga, and Blizzaga; but the mighty birds were too swift to even take a hit as they kept dodging.

GRRRRAAAAAAH! YYYYAAAAAHH! AAAAAAHHHH!

The guys turned their attention back to the fal'Cie. The Destrudo finally all charged up shot off from the fal'Cie's shoulders and were heading straight for its targets.

"IT'S COMING RIGHT FOR US!" Logan cried.

The guys barely jumped out of the way, when the Destrudo rained down on the falling ship and the fallen allies like meteor shower. The airship erupted into a billowing fireball, knocking the clouds apart. The remaining pieces of the ship finally made their descent to several plains and plateaus. There were no bodies in sight following the pieces. It was as though the explosion had taken out everyone, even the fal'Cie.

xXx

****

* * *

**The Next Episode of _Big Time Final Fantasy _to be in May**

_-_Did the Warriors of Cosmos survive the explosion? What about the Magick Sisters, and Jack and Ryuji? And what became the fate of the chosen Four Warriors of Light?

**To be continued in…**

**-****~Big Time Destiny~**

* * *

****


	7. Ep5: Big Time Destiny

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Ep.5: __Big Time Destiny__**-**_

* * *

_Previously on Big Time Final Fantasy,_

GRRRRAAAAAAH! YYYYAAAAAHH! AAAAAAHHHH!

The guys turned their attention back to the fal'Cie. The Destrudo finally all charged up shot off from the fal'Cie's shoulders and were heading straight for its targets.

"IT'S COMING RIGHT FOR US!" Logan cried.

The guys barely jumped out of the way, when the Destrudo rained down on the falling ship and the fallen allies like meteor shower. The airship erupted into a billowing fireball, knocking the clouds apart. The remaining pieces of the ship finally made their descent to several plains and plateaus. There were no bodies in sight following the pieces. It was as though the explosion had taken out everyone, even the fal'Cie.

xXx

Faint rays of light seeped down through the narrow rifts of a dimmed cave, showering the shallow chamber with its warmth and reflecting vibrant light to its crystallized walls and floor. Kendall blinked and squinted, the stream of light kissing his blond face in awakening. He slowly sat up and stared at his surroundings. There was no clouds around him, and he didn't feel the wind blowing its chilliness through his skin anymore. The ship's skydeck was gone. Heck everything was gone—the ship, the monsters, the freaky pope who changed his appearance into a terrifying monument of metallic beast—!

…even his friends were gone!

"Guys?" he called out before finally noticing he was alone. Kendall quickly straightened up to his feet and quickly glanced about at his surroundings his eyes searching frantically for his buds, "guys?" he called out again, this time louder. But the response was an echo.

He turned around, twirled sideways, did a 360, still searching and scanning his horizon. But no sign of James, Carlos or Logan. "Guys? Hey guys, where are you? This isn't funny y'know?" he called out again, "James?"

xXx

"Carlos?" cried out James from another section of the cave very similar to where Kendall was, but wider and with a trail leading further into the cave. James wandered through, shouting for his friends and looking very tense, "C'mon buddy! Where are you?"

xXx

Carlos was also in another section of the cave. He sneaked his head through a narrow crevasse of crystal walls that lead down deeper to a dark dimmed empty space, "Hello?" he shouted, only to get an echo, "Logan? You there pal?"

No response. He pulled away and stared back at his surroundings of crystal walls, looking very lost and panicky.

xXx

"HEEEEY!" Logan shouted with all his might, as he stood before a mountain of crystal walls climbing upwards to more mountains of crystals and sprawling valleys, "KENDAAAALL!" he shouted again, getting out of breath. He didn't know why but he was getting tired of all that shouting. And obviously there was no response. Just an echo, but no other responses.

xXx

Back to where Kendall was, the young knight searched his pocket and pulled out a very familiar, yet very precious item: the Lute. This was the very same Lute that was entrusted to him by Jo. No. Princess Sarah.

Of course he had a good excuse for stumbling on the name. The fair maiden of Cornelia was the spitting image of his girlfriend Jo back at the Palm Woods Hotel in Hollywood, California. Jo was everything to him; and she and him had gone through so much and have gotten so far he wondered how he would've made it without her.

He stared at the Lute briefly remembering blowing a couple of tune from it at the last clinging moments before the airship exploded into pieces by the monster-morphing pope Dysley (aka Barthandelus), and before he knew it, he was here in this Crystal Cave—he checked himself for injury—without a scratch.

…but where was James, Carlos or Logan? Where was the rest of the crew: the Magick Sisters, Jack and Ryuji?

Kendall continued to look around until he spotted a shadowy figure making its way down the hall. He followed until he saw the figure stopping in front of a wall. The figure looked around before stepping inside the wall like it was an open door for it. Kendall's jaws went down at the sight, "Whoa... he walked right through that wall!"

Staring questionably at the wall, he crossed his arms and rubbed his chin. "Maybe I should go through that wall too and follow him… nah, that would be dangerous… but what's danger when you're trying to save the world? Danger is everywhere, so no excuses! I'm going in."

Kendall stepped into the wall, and reemerged into a Modern Maze. The maze was concealed with red-colored cave walls dimmed with the faintest of light. He looked around, seeing nothing at his surrounding, but a floating ball of light right in front of him, waiting to be discovered.

"What is this place?" he muttered before facing the floating ball, "And what is that?"

xXx

At that same moment, James, Carlos, and Logan all found themselves in front of the floating ball of light as well. Curious, they approached the strange light seeping from it.

"Such a thing of beauty…" Carlos pondered.

xXx

"Must be magic." Logan wondered.

xXx

"Incredible." James was in awe.

xXx

The three friends, still apart from each other, were in different section of the Modern Maze where they all came across the same bright floating light waiting for them. They reached their hand to touch it, but then it glow bright in reaction. They jumped.

xXx

_Welcome to the Labyrinth of Time. I am the Light of Time. _

xXx

"Light of Time?" Kendall repeated.

xXx

_Those who seek to traverse my halls must first provide me with an offering. In exchange for the power you sacrifice, I offer you the precious gift of time._

xXx

"An offering?" James repeated, unwilling to take such task.

xXx

"I guess that thing wants me to give up something." Logan thought.

xXx

Carlos looked at his hands, then quickly with an idea in mind, pulled out from his weapons' belt his Shurikens and battle knives.

"Here." He said to the Light of Time, holding his weapons toward it, "I am offering you my weapons… but this..." he pointed at his helm on his head, "...this ain't goin' nowhere."

There was a brief silence and Carlos suddenly felt guilty; as if he just disrespected the light of time.

"Sorry..." he grinned, pulled out his helmet and placed it before the Light of Time with the rest of his weapons, "I… guess you need it too…?"

xXx

Logan handed over his book, "I am offering you my magic." He sounded a bit hesitant, "All of them."

xXx

James stared at his gils and items he carried with him in his pouches. He then stared at his lucky comb and mirror. Hesitant, he offered all of them to the Light of Time, "A little sacrifice won't hurt." He mumbled, "…or it did already?"

xXx

Kendall pulled out his sword and offered it to the Light of Time, "Here is my sword as an offering."

By magic, the sword vanished from Kendall's hands and he jumped in surprise.

_Very well, be on your way._

The light vanished in a bright light, and overwhelmed the entire chamber. Kendall opened his eyes once the bright light faded and he found himself in a darkened chamber with no torch lights and arctic wind.

xXx

**-Somewhere…-**

Jack tossed and turned on his side, reminiscing flying beams, a shaking airship, and the frantic screams of his comrades. The image was all blurry and the entire sight was violently in tremor. Finally he let out a sharp gasp and his eyes flew open. He quickly rose up, gasping for air and looking around. He was under a sea of trees. Tropical trees of all kinds, ranging from palms trees to exotic and colored flowers. He could hear birds nearby and could see smokes emitting into the sky from a distance.

"Wh-what?" he blinked, "Wh-where am I?"

He spotted a body not far from his left side. He identified the body belonging to a girl. He recognized the body! It was Aria!

"Oh my god…" He shot up to his feet and ran up to Aria, "Aria!" he shouted, sliding right next to her and raised her body up, enough to have her petite head to his strong arm, "Aria? Hey, yo!" he quickly but gently smacked her cheek to wake her up, "Wake up! C'mon girl, wake up!"

Aria groaned, slowly fluttering her eyes up. Jack let out a huge sigh of relief, "Oh thank goodness you're awake."

"Wh-what happen… what happened…?" Aria groaned.

Before Jack could respond, he heard a frantic cry. "OHMYGOSH, ARIA!"

It was Valerie. Valerie ran up to Jack and Aria's sides in sheer fear. "What happened?" she asked.

"Valerie!" Jack said, his eyes meeting the black mage, "She was unconscious. We crashed."

Valerie nodded, "Really badly even." She added, "I thought I'd lost you guys! I was freaking out!"

"Really? I thought I'd lost you!" Jack exclaimed.

"Uhh… wh…where's…" Aria tried to sit up, but her head was drumming and shaking into a violent vertigo spin, "Where's… the others…?"

"We'll find them." Jack replied. "Rest assured."

"Oh… gosh…" Aria held her throbbing head, squinting, "…what if something terrible happened to…"

"HEY!" Jack snapped, "Nothing happened to them, all right? Don't think that. I didn't sacrifice 17 months of no foods just to lose these four guys at the last minute!"

"I thought it was 2 weeks." Valerie blinked.

"If I don't get any grumbs now, it'll be two months two weeks too late!"

"Ok, ok…" Aria managed to sat up comfortably, "We'll find some foods." She then glared at Jack, "Apparently you haven't eaten anything descent since you were a guest on the ship." She then stared at the debris of the ship, "…or the ship we used to operate…"

"But first we need to find everyone else on board." Valerie said, "Fate and Ryuji aren't with us. Tina and Chocolate went with Matoya, Reina and Axel should be with Lightning, and the four Warriors of Light are nowhere to be found! Where could they be on this huge island?"

xXx

_The Big Time Rush guys have been separated. But each one of the boys has a sidequest across the Labyrinth of Time (LoT). Check out each of their adventures in this episode._

**Kendall – LoT: Original Chaos**

Kendall briefly looked around and across the darkened chamber with no torch lights and arctic wind. It was so cold, it almost felt like winter. Kendall wrapped his arms around his chest and grazed for some little warmth. He could feel the cold wind escaping his mouth every time he breathed.

"Jeez, this place is cold…"

He turned to his right and noticed a stone tablet and saw writings carved on it.

"A tomb?" he already turned nervous, "Who died?"

Curious, he stepped forward and leaned over to the tablet.

"Here you will be tasked by an enigmatic lord to grant a special request. Tribes of dragon will loom in your way and you must slay a certain tribe…" he gulped, "…based on one's request. Be careful not to slay the wrong tribe. Should you slay the wrong tribe, confess unto him… within."

He then noticed more writings magically carving below the tablet. It says, "You got five minutes."

GRAAAAOOOOWWWL…

A hissing beastly cry rented the air. Kendall jumped. He glanced back. He saw nothing.

GRAAAAOOOOWWWL…

Another cry rented the air again. This time it sounded like it was coming from behind him. He turned around and saw a monstrous white apparition looming behind him from a distance. It was 200 feet of weight, scaly wings, claws and spines. Its eyes were flashing gold and it looked rather heavy, as if it was carrying something on its back. The creature approached and the ground started to shake violently. The thing on its back quickly got revealed by the faintest light and Kendall could see it was wearing a red velvet cape, similar to a royal coat.

Kendall picked up paces and run. The dragon extended its wings and took off from the ground, its massive shadow casted over Kendall and closed in on him. Kendall screamed, "AAAAH!"

The dragon zoomed right past him just as he ducked to the ground. The dragon was so close that it seemed it would brush against him. The dragon went on, its sharp frightening hiss faded away into the farthest chamber he could see. Kendall stared at the departing dragon until it was gone.

He quickly got up, brushed away the dusts on him, and gazed, "I have to slay THAT?"

xXx

**James's Sidequest - LoT: Modern Maze**

James stared at his new surroundings seconds after he gave up his lucky comb and mirror, and gils. He was on a large castle bridge made of stone walls and green lichens splattered across like work of art. The bridge was suspended in high altitude, with the clouds appearing so close to his face and the cold howling wind surrounding the long winding bridge like a shivering blanket. He noticed the bridge was stretching both directions as far as his eyes could see.

He then ran to a wall and looked below the bridge. He gasped at an endless-foot drop to nowhere—oblivion.

"Okay…" he gulped, "WHERE THE HECK AM I?"

_BeEp! BeEp!_

He whirled around at the distant robotic sound nearby. "What was that?"

_BeEp! BeEp!_

He ran down the bridge and saw an opening to his right. He peeked in to another room from within the big bridge. The room was large and spacious and there were a lot of pillars scattered across. He stepped curiously into the room, his footsteps echoed all around.

"Huh! I could have sworn I heard some—!" he stopped once he noticed a large stone tablet besides him. He stepped in front of the stone and saw writings carved on the stone.

"Is that a tomb?" he leaned in to the tablet and read, "Here you will find eight pits and eight stones. Use them wisely and the path shall unfold before you. If you push a stone into a tight space, you may not be able to free it, so use with caution. Should you come to an impasse, speak unto the automaton… within."

He then noticed more writings magically carving below the tablet. It says, "You got five minutes."

He raised an eyebrow, "Okay, five minutes to do what?" he turned around, "I don't know what you're talking ab—!"

The room was now populated with robots, buzzing across the chamber like it was a party. The robots looked like Wall-E and ROB clones. The Wall-E's eyes, instead of having pupils looked like like television screens and they appeared cleaner and well-polished. The ROB were in onyx black colors. And they were bigger, about 5 feet.

He also noticed the walls had holes—about eight holes of them across from where the entrance was, which was now gone. James quickly realized he was trapped. He looked around, still staring at the robots with that panic look on his face and…

"…aaaaaaaaawwwwwwww…" He whimpered.

The robots stopped buzzing around, whirled around and stared right at him with their monitor-like eyes. He froze up.

xXx

**Carlos's Sidequest - LoT: Medieval Dungeon**

It took Carlos a while to notice that he was inside a large labyrinth. Everywhere he went, he only saw dead ends, or long winding corridors leading to dead ends.

"Guys?" he called out, only to get an echo.

"Guys?" he called out again, still running down the shallow hall leading to yet another long winding direction, "Hey, where are you?"

Still no answer, but his echo. He sighed in defeat, "…where am I? Ohh…why did I sacrifice my weapons and my helmet to that weird talking light?"

_Whoosssh…!_

A cold breeze zoomed past Carlos. Carlos alertly turned around to where the breeze came from and saw yet another long winding road. He was curious about that road, but he was skeptical at the same time. He's been to so many halls like this already and kept going to a dead end that he felt this was no brainer… a dead end also.

But then again, it was another road he's yet to visit. He remained skeptical.

_Whoosssh…! _A shadowy figure got spotted at the far end of the road. He jumped at the sight.

"A ghost?"

He ran down the hall, now fully determined there was something new there and NOT a dead end. He reached the end of the hall and saw a spacious empty chamber. There was nothing in sight. Nothing but another long winding road to the far right of the chamber… and a stone tablet right next to him, he noticed. He read the tablet.

"Study the forms that pass and answer the questions posed. Should you answer correctly, the path shall unfold before you. Should you answer mistakenly, speak unto he… within."

He then noticed more writings magically carving below the tablet. He paused, squinting at the new writings, "You got five minutes."

"Spirits who haunt this dungeon…" a booming voice startled Carlos from behind, "…materialize in the northeast."

Carlos saw an enigmatic figure wearing a dark cloak. He cautiously approached the figure. Up close he was dark-skinned or African American as he would recognize one of the races back home. The figure had piercing gray eyes and a scruffy look. The figure's face was staring, quietly, in silence…

"Did you…?" he tried to speak but the figure spun on his heels to stare over his northeast direction and without looking at Carlos he said, "Watch them well."

Carlos followed the figure's gaze and before him, a row of white flames appeared across the chamber, creating a narrow pathway. Carlos jumped, "Gh-ghost…!" he quickly hid behind the cloaked figure.

"Do not be frightened." The figure reassured, though he didn't even bother to smile or show any sign of reassurance on his face. Carlos cautiously peeked over the figure's shoulder and watched.

And before the duo, ghostly figures started materializing out of nowhere and marched down the narrow pathway. First he saw a dragon; then the dragon vanished to the other side of the chamber. Then following the dragon, it was a beaver; then it was a mermaid, then an animated broom, then Matoya who stopped briefly to wink at Carlos. Carlos cringed.

"Ok…" he then smiled, "I see what you mean by not being frightened. They're not so bad…"

More figures appeared to march down the pathway. There was a princess in white cloak, a pirate, an armored skeleton, a horse, couple more mermaids, some more beavers, moogles, a knight on a warhorse with a massive lance, a dwarf, an elf, even a massive dog that left out traces of flames behind it with every step… Carlos couldn't be more impressed.

"Coool!"

xXx

**Logan – LoT: Primeval Pit**

Shriiiieeeek…!

Logan could hear the shrieking scream of a nearby wyvern renting the air. He could also see it, making circles just above him. He whimpered in fear.

Shriiiieeeek…!

The wyvern charged at Logan. Logan ducked, dodging the swooping beast. The wyvern attacked again, and Logan quickly rolled out of the way to a stone tablet nearby. He hid behind it. The only form of safety he could find, in a cave that was extremely hot like the hottest day in L.A, but worse. He was on top of a mountain, overlooking a sea of lava. The wyvern continued making circles and hissing bloody murder.

"Why on Earth did I even sacrificed my magic?"

Shriiiieeeek! The wyvern flew higher, away from Logan. It was then that Logan noticed the writings on the stone tablet.

"Follow the path spread before you as a narrow bridge…" he glanced in front of him to see a bridge of marble stones hovering just above the sea of lava. Logan gulped, "…the light speck shall guide you to your true path. Should you fall unto the sea of lava…" he glanced again at the boiling sea of lava over the horizon, "…speak unto he within."

He squinted, "Why would I speak to he if I'm scorched to death? And who's he?"

He then noticed more writings magically carving below the tablet. It says, "You got five minutes."

"What?" Logan freaked.

Shrrriiieeek...!

He watched the wyvern swerving above him, then looked at the bridge he's supposed to cross again. The marble stones that made up the bridge looked weak for his weight. Either that or they looked like flying weight scales that could fall off any second should he dare step on them. He then examined the distance of the bridge. It expanded over endless distance that there were no ends. And there were ravines of a sea of lava under 100 feet below.

He quivered again as he slowly approached the bridge whilst monitoring the wyvern, hoping not to make a harsh step that could upset the creature into charging him again.

"Ohhh...kay." he gulped. "Five minutes." he then smiled faintly, "I can do five minutes."

He placed a foot on a stone and it immediately crumbled into the lava sea. He screamed and quickly pulled away from the ravine before he could lose his balance. He fell backward and quickly shuffled back to the tablet.

Shhhhrrrrriiiiek...!

The wyvern made it's descend toward Logan. Logan screamed again, quickly jumped onto his feet and jumped over another floating brick that was part of the fragile bridge. Without hesitation he ran down the bridge, with every step collapsing behind and the wyvern giving chase.

"I SWEAR I WILL NEVER LET JAMES AND CARLOS TOUCH ANOTHER BOOK AGAAAAAIN!" Logan screamed as he was running for his life through the weakened bridge.

xXx

**Break**

So it seems that Big Time Rush and Final Fantasy also have something in common in reality. If that's so the case, then here's a little BTFF Trivia for y'all.

- This _Big Time Rush _actress has also taken a main role in _Final Fantasy X _and_ Final Fantasy X-2_. Can you name this actress and the FF character she played?

The answer after the next break.

**Break**

xXx

**-Somewhere…-**

"Girls?" Jack called out to the girls twenty feet away from him, "Come look at this!"

Aria and Valerie quickly followed him. They reached an exit of the sea of trees and noticed a vast space of white sands and a beach. It was beautiful. But what was most striking about the place was the sky. The high clouds appeared to be leaning very close to the water and the sands, giving them reflections of sparkles of light. It was as if the sky was falling but was stopped somehow by time suspended.

"A Purvama?" Aria said.

Valerie looked at her, "Purvama?"

"A floating land." Aria explained, "In this case, a floating island."

Jack scoffed, chuckling, "Floating Island? That's ridiculous."

"Oh yeah?" Aria then noticed a broken worn-out signboard with a parchment piece of paper tagged to it from the other side of the beach, "Check out the sign!" she pointed and the trio went to the sign and read, "Isshu, Jewel of the Skysea."

Jack's eyes shot up.

"And that's no regular skysea!" Aria went on, "This is a Purvama from the land of Lemurés. Adjacent to the World of Ivalice."

"We're in Ivalice?" Valerie gasped.

Aria shook her head, "Not really. Ivalice is just below us. We're in Lemurés. A sky continent legendary for its abundance in treasures and populated by sky pirates due to such theory." She sighed, shaking her head again, "The explosion might have sent us to another realm in the Final Fantasy. We could be anywhere! So does everyone else!"

"Even the guys?"

"Even the guys."

Valerie and Jack sighed exasperatedly. This was not the type of news they wanted to hear.

"Damn that pope!" Jack screamed, "I swear if I ever find that son of a bull, I'm gonna… grr…" Jack suddenly felt his anger surging through his veins and overwhelming his system. With a ferocious roar, he pulled out his dark sword and descended it on the signboard, shattering it into pieces. The girls jumped, frightened.

"Jack!" Valerie cried out, but Jack continued to smash the signboard with his sword, "Jack, stop it!" she grabbed Jack's arms before he could deliver another crushing blow on the broken board again, "Stop it, please! Taking your anger out on a board is not gonna bring everyone back!"

Jack stopped and turned to Valerie.

"Please, calm down!" she begged again.

"Calm down…?" Jack's angry face suddenly relaxed, "…oh! Sorry Val." He quickly put away his blade and smiled, "I didn't mean to. I was just… y'know… …"

Valerie and Aria simply stared at Jack.

"…yeah." He quickly smiled, "Hey, can we find our ship? I saw some smoke not far from the island. It could be anywhere here! Yeah, let's do that!" he quickly took off in a hurry.

Aria and Valerie stared at each other bewildered.

"Did you see that?" Aria asked her friend.

Valerie nodded, "I'm beginning to worry about him, Aria."

Aria sighed, "You and me both, sister."

xXx

**Kendall – LoT: Original Chaos**

Kendall slowly crossed a corridor and slowly looked around with caution. He was armed with a stick, the only weapon to defend himself. He was now realizing what a big fat mistake he did to sacrifice his sword.

He slowly turned to the front and came face-to-face with a cloaked figure. He jumped.

The cloaked figure looked rather pale and skinny—skinny as in 70- pounds—back bended and large eyes fixated into Kendall's green eyes.

"You're looking to slaaaaay a dragon?"

Kendall's eyes looked around its corner, before facing the cloaked figure again, "…yes. I'm here to _slaaaaay_ a dragon."

"Saaaaaaay no more." The cloaked figure smiled, "I shall provide you the dragon you need to slaaaaaaay…"

"Can you please not talk like that? It's creepy."

The cloaked figure didn't listen, "Of no-horned, large-tailed, massive-winged dragons, of a white skin color as shiny as ivory. You are to slaaaaaay… six."

Kendall's eyes wide, "What? Six? I have to slay SIX?"

"Good luck." The figure vanished.

"Wait! What about a sword?" he waved his stick around, "I can't slaaaaaay six dragons with a STICK!"

GRAAAAOOOOWWWL…

The hissing cry rented the air again. Kendall jumped and once again glanced back but saw nothing. He angrily stomped, "What kind of a sick game is this?"

Kendall ran down the corridor and stopped at a large section of the cave. He turned around and saw the cloaked figure. But that one looked different. That figure was heavier than the one he saw earlier and about 5'6'' in height.

He approached the figure, "Hey, you! Excuse me."

The figure turned to his attention.

"Yeah, hi. I'm sorry, but I'm looking for a dragon to slay. Well, actually six dragons to…!"

Two white wings pulled out from the figure's back. Kendall jumped. The wings wrapped around the figure then quickly released the figure to reveal something other than the figure: the frightening White Dragon! The one with the red cloak. Kendall stepped back in shock.

"YOU WISH TO SLAY MY KIND?" the Dragon spoke, before eyeballing the stick Kendall carried, "WITH A STICK?" He then let out a ferocious laugh, "DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!"

The Dragon stepped his foot hard on the ground, and Kendall lost his balance. The dragon closed in on Kendall, its nostril breath enveloping him in a hot gas, "I CAN TURN YOU INTO A SQUISHY WORM." The dragon mustered a smile, "HEY, GET IT? SQUISHY WORM?"

Kendall swung his stick at the Dragon, but the Dragon grabbed it with its massive teeth, pulled the stick off Kendall's hand and spat it away. The Dragon then closed in on Kendall until its nostril was caressing Kendall's cheek. Kendall whimpered.

xXx

**Logan– LoT: Primeval Pit**

One final leap landed Logan back to solid ground of yet another mountain. He turned around and quickly ducked just as the chasing wyvern swooped past him. The beast was so close enough to even touch him, but didn't and only left a strong breeze instead and casted his shadow over to the young man. The shadow vanished, giving Logan a sense that it was safe to look again.

So he did and watched the creature, still flying into the skies and turning into a speck of a black crow into the blood-red, lava-gas-infected skies. The creature didn't notice its prey and didn't even bother to search for him again, so it went along flying and disappearing with its hissing cry.

Logan quickly stood up, let out a shaken sigh, watching the wyvern till it was no more, and he was alone.

"I almost died!" he recalled the dreary experience. He then glanced at his surroundings and what he saw didn't make him feel any better. He saw the sea of lava over the horizon and another set of ravines, more mountains, and most recognizable he saw the stone tablet. He was back again at the starting point.

He glared at the tablet, "And I'm still seeing you?"

_60 seconds remaining... _he could hear the celestial voice of the Light of Time ringing in his mind. At first, hearing the voice made him think he was going crazy, but it took him a moment to figure out what was going on. The Light of Time was keeping tabs on how long he had to complete this mission before whatever unspeakable thing would've happen to him after time's up.

He let out a hopeless sigh, "Ohh... where am I going to find that speck of light?"

He turned his head to the side and caught another frail bridge of marble stones over the sea of lava. He never noticed it before. The one he kept seeing was the one in front of him, not besides. Curious he stepped forward the bridge and then he stopped, dead-on, staring at that speck of light he was searching high and low for, "...the light...?"

The light speck was prancing and hovering above one of the marble stones, then tauntingly hovered before him. His eyes moved, watching the light's movement, surprised, marveled, and distracted at the same time.

And then the light zoomed out of sight, crossing over the new bridge.

"Hey, wait!" He shouted, his hand tucked to the direction the light went as if trying to stop it. Without a second, he jumped on one of the marble stones of the bridge and rand in full pursuit of the light. But the light was so far away, swerving and turning to new road of the bridge that its distance was straining to Logan's eyes. Logan ran faster, no longer paying attention to the crumbling bridge behind him; he was dead-on focus on the light. There was no way he was gonna lose it just after he found it.

As he ran he took quickl-lightning speed glances around and he no longer saw the ravines or the series of mountains, but unsteadly stones, rocks floating on lava, both flat and disproportional, and then soon he saw nothing else around him but a vast ocean of the bubbling skin-scorching liquid fire.

The light was still flying and, attempting to fade out from Logan, was heading straight into a new ravine; and Logan saw a vast valley over it, with a large hole to the farthest corner leading to a new cave. Logan smiled widely and cheered, "The exit! It's the exit! I'M GONNA MAKE IT!"

xXx

**Carlos – LoT: Medieval Dungeon**

More and more spirits kept parading across the chamber and Carlos couldn't help but enjoy it! It was like watching a parade. A parade of ghosts!

... And he wasn't even scared!

Finally the parade ended just as the last mermaid went through the other side and the flames that made the celestial road vanished.

"Man... That was entertaining!" Carlos said, facing the enigmatic man again, "Can we see it again?"

"No."

Carlos stopped smiling.

"Before we start, a simple question: why were you born?"

Carlos stared, puzzled. The enigmatic man said nothing more.

"err... is that a rhetorical question?"

"Moving on." the enigmatic man barked.

Carlos was now confuzzled.

"How many spirits did you see in total?" the man quickly went on, not letting Carlos the chance to at least think of the answer, "Which rank did the pirate came as? How many beavers have you spotted? Was the fairy in 7th or 14th position? Does anyone know if any of these creatures live underwater? If so, which one?"

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!" Carlos interrupted, "Why're you asking all these questions?"

"You must answer all the questions before proceeding, just as the tablet spoke." the enigmatic man pointed at the stone tablet Carlos read earlier.

"Wait...? This?" he pointed at the tablet.

"How many brooms did you see?" the man asked him without a smile. And once again, Carlos was confuzzled.

"Okay…" he quickly said, turned around and started counting his fingers while trying to remember the souls' parade, "One broom came right after a beaver and then before…" he frowned at the next picture, "…Matoya…" he went on, "…and then the next broom came in before the… pirate?"

"Mhn!" the figure scoffed. Carlos turned around, alerted. The figure shook his head, not saying anything.

"Ohh… YOU KNOW I'M NOT GOOD AT MATH!"

"How many brooms did you see?" The man asked him again. Still no smile or look of disappointment. Just blank stare.

Carlos frustratingly scratched his head. He then barked out, "Three?"

"You have chosen…" the cloaked face paused briefly, "…wisely."

Carlos looked stunned; "I did?" he smiled.

"Very well, next question." The cloaked figure said.

Carlos stopped smiling.

xXx

**James – LoT: Modern Maze**

The robots couldn't stop staring right at James with their monitor-like eyes. James cautiously stepped forward. He too didn't remove his gaze off the creepy robots. They just showed up out of nowhere when the room was empty earlier. Must have been magic, he thought as he slipping past them and headed toward the pillars.

BeEp-BeEp!

He froze; a wave of heat and shock took over him and he couldn't move. The robots were gonna finish him! He was done for!

But then he noticed one of the robots moving to another direction, and before long all the robots started moving about again, minding their own technical business. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief, "Oh, thank goodness… phew."

He proceeded to where the pillars were and noticed scattered stones all around. They were the size of a heavy cube-shaped table. He knocked on it and it resounded to its sound. A metal stone. He frowned at the remaining stones scattered across the room, then at their respective holes over to the far wall where the busy robots were zigzagging. He then looked back at the stones.

"I'm supposed to push THAT?" James pointed at the large stone, "AND THESE?" he wavered his arms over the other stones. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PUSH—!"

He then threw a kick on a stone and it flew into the air, sky-high. The stone vanished for a second, then it came back down and shattered into pieces like an expensive China plate. The stone was very light.

"Oh."

All the robots turned back to his directions, their monitor-like eyes turning red. James stuttered back. Now he really angered them, he thought.

One of the robots came charging at him and glared. James' face was reflecting its robotic eyes like it was a video screen.

"BeEP! BeEp! lAUNCHiN' SyTEM ReSTORe?"

"Errrrrr…" James glanced back at the other robots who were also staring, as if awaiting a response from him. Cautiously he said, "…No?"

Oohh… The robot looked down on the ground. So did the other robots. James could sense the disappointment in the groups and confirmed it when they solemnly turned around, and started rolling back to their usual technical business.

"Wait, wait, wait!" he stopped, "I meant yes. Yes. Launch your System Restore. Yeah." He then mimicked, "lAUNCHiN' SyTEM ReSTORe."

"OOOOHHH!" The robots clapped their claws together in thunderous applause and together they raised their arms up to the skies. James looked up and watch another metal box coming toward him. He jumped out of the way and it landed in a massive thud. The landing rocked the bridge and forced the robots and James to jump.

"SyTEM ReSTORe cOmPlETE."

"YEAAAAAAAH!" The robots cheered and clapped their claws together again. James nervously mimicked them. "Okay, so what do I…" he paused, noticing one of the holes to the far corner of the wall, and then back at the metal square-shaped stones again. Once again he was on track. "Ohh! Okay! Sweet!"

He pushed one of the metal boxes that just showed up, quickly passing by the robots that were watching quietly. He reached the hole and pushed the metal box into the hole. With a clicking sound, the metal box glowed red.

"YEEEAAAAH!" He shook a fist into the air.

_2 minutes remaining... _He heard the Light of Time speak into the air. Motivated he quickly went for another stone and pushed again to one of the holes. He was close to reach it when another robot came out of the blue and kicked at the box with its wheel-like feet, sending it flying. James watched the box vanishing into the sky, then came back down and shattered into pieces again.

"HEY!" James snapped at the robot.

"BeEP! BeEp! lAUNCHiN' SyTEM ReSTORe?"

"Yeah, you owe me a metal box, buddy!"

And once again, the robots wavered their arms to make another metal box appeared. James went for the box and before he knew it, the robots went after the box, kicking it out of the way, frustrating James even more.

"BeEP! BeEp! lAUNCHiN' SyTEM ReSTORe?"

"Yeah?" James exasperatedly said, and once again they summoned another metal stone. It didn't took long for James to realize that the robots were all going after each metal stone he was moving down to their respectable hole. He decided to take action. He kicked the stone, and then he started dodging and swerving the blocking robots out of the way and managed to kick one, two, three to six more metal stones into their holes. The puzzle was now turning into a Soccer game of one human against all robot races. A part of James wanted to enjoy this game, but another part of him got too focus on not wasting anymore time.

"Guys, I know this is fun! But really, I gotta move these boxes so that I can move on!" he eventually pleaded.

_1 minute remaining..._

"WHAT?" he shouted, stopping midway to the next hole.

Before he knew it, one of the robots took a metal box from him and kicked it high. "HEEEY!" he shouted.

xXx

**Break**

Think you know…

- This _Big Time Rush _actress that has also taken a main role in _Final Fantasy X _and_ Final Fantasy X-2_. And the FF character she played?

It's Tara Strong!

The Biology teacher Ms. Collins from _Big Time Rush_; happens to be Yuna's spunky Al Bhed friend Rikku in _FFX_ and _FFX-2_. She also appeared in Kingdom Hearts 2 too!

**Break**

xXx

**-Isshu-**

The trio hiked up to a stepped hill of high tropical flowers, stones, and narrow streams, which were leftover from the last rain that recently occurred before they ended up here. Pushing them out of the way, they slowly trailed up while at the same time, watched their every step to avoid slipping.

Jack pushed off two heavy palm bushes and they revealed behind the Big Time Airship—demolished, and reduced to a 2-passenger flier.

"There it is!" Jack said.

"Oh my gosh." Valerie stared at the totaled airship.

"That Barthandelus fellow really did a number on the ship." Aria said, "I hope everyone's okay."

Jack said nothing. He got suddenly silent.

"Helloo?" Valerie shouted, her echoing wail caused the trees to rustle and they watched birds flying away at the same time. Valerie continued to shout, "Is anybody here?"

There was no response. Valerie tried again, "Helloooo?"

"There's no one here, Val." Aria confirmed, "We've searched every nooks and crannies of this island."

"But how can we get out of this island?" Valerie asked before noticing Jack climbing over the broken ship.

"Jaack! What are you doing?"

Aria turned to watch Jack taking the pilot seat, "Jack!" she gasped.

The girls quickly went to him, standing at the ship's side. Jack questionably returned their gazes, "What?"

"That thing is broken!" Aria exclaimed.

"Broken?" Valerie argued, "But Aria, what if that thing can still fly?"

"That's what I intent to find out."

"What?" the girls shouted before jumping into the broken airship. Aria quickly took the second seat and Valerie stood behind her comrades. Jack continued to manipulate the ship's button to see which was working.

"Jack, please don't." Aria begged.

"Wh—I'm sorry, Aria. But when my friends are missing and in trouble, I don't just sit by." Jack explained.

"But that's recklessness what you're doing!" Valerie said.

"No. That's courage." Jack calmly replied with a smug, "I'm motivated. It's part of virtue. Pssht. Duh!" he went on manipulating the buttons again.

Aria and Valerie continued to beg an ignorant Jack, but with a slam of his hand to the control panel, light glimmered to a full glow, illuminating all the buttons and the broken ship twitched and slowly tumbled, revived as if after a long sleep. The trio felt the ship raising up and slowly hovering over the ground. Aria quickly grabbed her seat belt, Valerie knowing there were no seat for her, wrapped her arms around Aria's seat and held on tight for support, and Jack cheerfully pumped his fists in the air.

"WHOOHOO! I DID IT! I REVIVED OUR BABY!" Jack cheered before facing the girls, "Now how about a smooch from yours truly?"

"Ugh…" Aria cringed in disgust. Valerie only rose her eyebrows and shifted back.

The ship suddenly let out a loud clank in the back and it violently rumbled. Valerie held on tightly to Aria's seat and Jack and Aria held their balance tightly in their seats.

"Uhh... G...guys...Wh-what's ha-a-appeni-i-i-i-ng…?" Valerie cried out through the ship's rumbling.

Red light flickered again, overwhelming the ship; and the warning siren got twice as loud.

"The ship's getting out of control!" Jack yelped.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO ANYTHING?" Aria barked.

"AND I TOLD YOU TO LET ME BE MOTIVATED!" Jack yelped.

"WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING AT ME FOR?"

" 'CUZ YOU'RE SCREAMING AT ME, GIRL!"

"THEN STOP SCREAMING AT ME!"

"GUYS, CAN WE STOP SCREAMING OUR THROATS OUT AT EACH OTHER AND START—!"

BOOOOM! The ship shot up into the high skies. The trio watched the skysea island disappearing from underneath them, into a speck of sand and soon, clouds of mists and atmosphere overwhelmed their surroundings.

"—SCREAMING?" Valerie barked her last sentence.

"UWWWAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The ship stopped midway off the world's atmosphere and started making its descent. It was now heading straight for yet another floating island. The gang screamed in tears. Jack suddenly realizing he didn't have his seatbelt quickly went for it. He then went for the pilot stick and tried to control the ship.

"It's not working!"

"We're gonna crash!" Aria screamed.

"I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Valerie wailed.

"UWWWAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

xXx

**Logan – LoT: Primeval Pit**

"The exit! It's the exit! I'M GONNA MAKE IT!" Logan cheered just when he spotted a new valley over the sea of lava and a cave to the farthest corner. He had his eyes still set on the flying light and thanks to it—and not to its ridiculous speed—he was going to get out of that freaky cave!

But just as he closed in, the sea of boiling lava exploded in front of him, spilling and scattering everywhere, and like a leaping whale, came out a great serpent—a snake about the size of the tallest skyscraper he could remember and just as massive, blocking his road and knocking off the bridge that was in front of him. Its eyes were wide and fierce like a wild cat on a prowl and its teeth were so sharp they could cut through metal. Its green skin was like a mosaic of dead moths, wet weeds and lichens, and some gooey fungus-like mucus discharge.

A ferocious roar spat out of his jaws, and Logan quickly put the brakes on his running heels, the color on his face gone, staring dead frightened at the creature. The moment of shock was cut off by yet another startling revelation when the stone he was standing on crumbled beneath his feet and he saw himself plunging into the sea of lava. The snake's head charged head-on toward him.

Logan raised his arms up and quickly descended them onto the snake's head, and with a great leap, he was now over the snake's head and was running down its slithering body like it was a great bridge. He didn't lose sight of the fluttering light at the distance and his focus. But he could sense the snake had turned its head toward him and was charging at him from behind. He continued to run without looking back at the horror closing in, and like a warrior on a war-like battlefield, he let out a battle charge cry as he was closing in to the valley, "UWWWWAAAAAAH!"

The lava serpent hissed, charged again with its teeth, and Logan jumped at that split-second. The snake ended up biting its slithering abs and plunged back into the lava sea.

Logan landed, rolling onto the valley's safe ground and quickly stood onto his knees. He turned to watch the serpent wrestling with itself and roaring in agonizing pain, until it sunk into the lava sea.

_30 seconds remaining... _He heard the Light of Time speak.

"YEEES!" He shot up to his feet and pumped his fists in the air, "WHOO! I've never felt so ALIVE!"

Now fully determined he pointed up, "Now, to rescue my people!" and took off into the cave's opening, once again without looking back.

xXx

**James – LoT: Modern Maze**

James has managed to get seven of the stones into their holes. The last one became a doozy, as more and more robots continued piling on him, desperately trying to get the stone off him. He struggled with them.

"Come on guys! I gotta… get that ball… into the dang… HOLE!" he shot the metal stone to the hole, but a Wall-E robot shattered it with a punch.

"COME ON!"

_30 seconds remaining..._

"AAAAUUUGH!" he turned away, frustrated and close to ripping his hair off. The robots cheered, "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! eee-eee-eee-eee-eee-eee-eee BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! eee-eee-eee-eee-eee-eee-eee."

"BeEP! BeEp! lAUNCHiN' SyTEM ReSTORe! SyTEM ReSTORe cOmPlETE."

The last metal box reappeared in front of James. James cringed, staring at his reflection on the metal box. The time was gonna be up very soon, and he began to fear the worst. What calamity was gonna fall on him?

He then stopped. He never noticed his reflection on the metal box before. It was clearer than his lucky…!

An idea quickly formed in his head. His frown suddenly turned to a smile.

"Hey!"

The robots heard James and turned around. They saw him approaching. Their monitor-like eyes were envisioning him strutting forward like a hot supermodel with an open shirt exposing his rock-hard abs. A slow-motion effect and a sultry music played in the background [_I believe in miracles... you sexy thing, by hot chocolate_] and his hair and shirt danced to an imaginative blowing wind. He then did 'the face'.

"Ohhhhhh…" the robots mumbled cocking their heads on one side.

James swung a leg.

Beeeeep!

The robots snapped back to reality once they heard James cheering out loud and pumping his fists in the air. "YEEEEEAAAAAH!"

They looked behind them and there they saw it: the last metal box plugged into its hole. James continued to dance and prance around, and close in on the robots till he got face-to-face with them, "In your faces, Robotik-Spheroes! In your faaace!" he laughed.

The robots stared at each other and then back at James clueless, like 'what just happened?'

"Man, who knew robots were female?" he smiled widely, "I did! YEES!"

_Time's Up! _The Light of Time said and the skies suddenly glowed red, overwhelming the bridge and the mists started coming out from above.

"Oh, snaps! The exit!" James turned around and saw a new exit opened up before him. He was now free.

He triumphantly pumped his fist again and faced the robots once more, "Next time we meet, I'll get your numbers, 'kay? Thank you!" and then he was off. The robots still looked clueless.

xXx

**Kendall – LoT: Original Chaos**

The Dragon's nostrils were still glued to Kendall. With a couple of whiff, his massive head slowly moved away from the warrior, to Kendall's surprise.

"YOU SMELL KINDA… COURAGEOUS." The Dragon said.

Kendall grinned a bit, "…well I am kinda courage—"

"…BUT YOU ALSO SMELL STUPID." The Dragon said hotly, interrupting, "YOU KNOW YOU'RE TO SLAY A DRAGON AND YOU BRING A STICK TO THE BATTLEFIELD?"

"HEY, I had to sacrifice a sword to the Light of Time, okay?" Kendall said defensively.

"LIGHT OF TIME HUH?" The Dragon licked its teeth, "WELL, DOESN'T MATTER. I DON'T LIKE STUPID PEOPLE. SO HERE'S THE DEAL. THE KIND OF DRAGON YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? THERE'S ONLY ONE KIND: ME."

Kendall raised an eyebrow.

"THAT CLOAKED FIGURE LIED TO YOU. AND I CANNOT BE SLAIN."

Kendall furrowed his brow, "What do you mean you can't be slain?"

"I'M A KIND OF DRAGON CHOSEN BY DESTINY. AND SO YOU ARE, CHOSEN BY DESTINY." The Dragon went on, "AND I'M NOT THE KIND OF DRAGON FROM THIS FINAL FANTASY. AND SO YOU ARE NOT FROM THIS FINAL FANTASY."

"Really?" Kendall smiled, "You're not from around here?"

"NOW THAT'S HOT, RIGHT?"

Now Kendall was surprised. To hear a dragon say 'Hot' was a shocker.

"YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, I SAID HOT." The Dragon said as if he read his mind, "AND NOT THE HOT LIKE TEMPERATURE HOT. HOT AS IN REAL HOT. NOW HERE'S MY DEAL NOW. I'LL LET YOU GO."

Kendall straightened, surprised by the Dragon's deal. The Dragon moved his head to his left, "IF YOU GO DOWN THIS ROAD, STRAIGHT TO THE FINAL CORRIDOR TO YOUR RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE A PORTAL." The Dragon faced Kendall again, "THAT PORTAL SHALL TAKE YOU TO THE EXIT. YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS REMAINING BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT."

"Really?" Kendall smiled, "Oh my gosh, thank you Sir Dragon! Thank you so much!"

He took off running to the direction the Dragon pointed him.

"AND BE CAREFUL, KENDALL." The Dragon said. Kendall stopped, "NOT EVERYTHING IS WHAT IT SEEMS." The Dragon winked before vanishing in a fade-out mode.

Kendall shook his head, rubbed his eyes and stared again to see the White Dragon with the royal coat was really gone. Was he a ghost? He felt real to him. He just stood there, trying to figure out what just happened, what the Dragon meant by not everything is what it seems, and how did he knew his name when he didn't even get to know the _Dragon's_ name?

And if that wasn't creepy enough, the Dragon said Hot! Only cool people say hot! Not Dragons! Could the Dragon be a cool person? Not from the Final Fantasy but from back home?

He quickly shook his head, banishing the thought to focus on the exit the Dragon left him, beat the time, and find his friends, "The guys!" He took off.

xXx

**Carlos - LoT: Medieval Dungeon**

There was silence between Carlos and the cloaked man. The cloaked face was still an expressionless tight face. It was as if his face never alternated based on emotions. And that got Carlos way nervous than before.

Carlos furrowed his brow, unaware of his next answer, "is it… seven?"

The cloaked face said nothing.

Carlos waited.

"You have chosen…" he paused briefly.

Carlos leaned in suspense.

"…wisely."

Carlos smiled broadly and threw a fist in the air, "YEEES!"

"Very well, be on your way."

Carlos grabbed the cloaked man's hand and shook it, "Thank you! Thank you SOOO much! I could just HUG you!"

The cloaked man's face was still a stone.

"No?" Carlos said, "OKAY!" he turned around, and still jumping up and down in celebration scampered off, "WHOO-HOO!"

"Mhn!" was all the cloaked man could utter.

Carlos was halfway down the long winding road when he stopped celebrating.

_30 seconds remaining... _He heard the Light of Time speak, and he didn't have much time. There was no exit in sight, and he just realized he forgot to ask the cloaked man where it was actually.

"Hey, sir!" he turned around, "I forgot! Can you—!"

The cloaked figure was gone. He blinked. "…sir?"

_YAP!_

Carlos jumped. He noticed a fluffy small dog at his feet. The dog was a half-shaggy, half-bichon, with the cutest puppy-dog eyes buried underneath all the shaggy white fur. Its tongue was out, panting and smiling at Carlos.

Carlos leaned in close to the dog, squinting, "A dog?" he looked around before facing the puppy again, "In the middle of a labyrinth?"

_YAP!_

Carlos jumped again.

The dog stepped in front of Carlos and began whimpering. It made circles around his feet, and then stood on its hind eyes to continue panting and smiling and whimpering and barking and wagging its tail. Carlos still stared.

"Awww…" he squealed, "…I can't leave you alone! You're too CUTE! Come here, little guy!"

The dog jumped onto Carlos's arms. Carlos then did a quick check on the dog, "…or girl." He corrected himself.

_YAP!_

"Hey, you wanna travel with me for a while?" he asked the dog, "I think I should call you—!"

Both Carlos and the dog vanished in light.

xXx

_And thus, the Four Warriors of Light finally reunite… soon…_

**-Crystal Shrine-**

Logan reappeared back into the crystallized place he started up in. Then James, then Kendall, and finally Carlos with the dog. But once again, they didn't see each other as they were in different section of the Crystal Shrine.

But together, they did saw standing before them a Crystal Stasis. A sculpted Crystal monumental figure. And it resembled that of a beautiful young girl with just one long pigtail hair on one side.

The dog barked at the sight of the Crystal Stasis.

_You have made it, Warriors of Light. You are indeed worthy of your task… _They heard a young lady's voice from the Stasis.

"Light of Time…?" Kendall said.

"…as a girl statue?" the guys said together. They suddenly looked around; as if they just heard each other say it out loud in echoes. And together they said…

"James? Carlos? Logan?"

"Kendall? Carlos? Logan?"

"Kendall? James? Logan?"

"Kendall? James? Carlos?"

"Guys? Where are you?" Kendall called out.

"I think we're on the other side of a cave!" Logan replied, his voice ringing in the air as if a spirit talking to James, Kendall and Carlos's ears.

"Other side?" James responded, his voice also vibrating to their ears, "I'm looking around, and I don't see you!"

"Are you guys ghosts too?" Carlos inquired, trying to make sure they were really in the room, but they weren't.

"No, Carlos. We're not!" Logan replied, "…but I hate to admit it, it sounds like we are."

"I bet it's that crystal lady's trick!" James pointed out the Crystal Stasis he and his comrades were facing, "She's putting us into that trouble!"

"Crystal lady? Or that freaky pope?" Carlos asked.

"That pope's not gonna hurt us again guys. Trust me." Kendall replied.

"But what about the others?" Logan asked, "…what about you guys? I can't even see you!"

"You think?" James and Carlos said together.

Kendall faced the Crystal Stasis, "Okay lady. Or Light of Time or whatever your name is, can you please, please, PLLEAASE, take us outta here? I need to see my friends and they need to see me too!"

"Ditto!" they said together.

…_ I, Serah Farron, Light of Time, shall grant your wishes, for as long as you stay true to your path. Do you promise to stay true to your true path?_

"We do!" the guys said together.

The Crystal Stasis glimmered, her crystal body began to fade and the guys' body started to shimmer in light as well. The bright light reflected on the crystal walls and overwhelmed the entire chamber. Finally with the light gone…

…Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan materialized together over the labyrinth's edge, which was a two-way road gapped apart by a large bottomless pit. They were in front of each other, facing each other, and finally reunited.

"GUYS! IT'S YOU!" Kendall exclaimed and together they cheered and hugged.

_[Final Fantasy victory fanfare + BTR 'Famous' victory fanfare]_

"We did it!" James exclaimed.

"I can't believe we're all here again!" Logan added.

"Safe and—whoa!" Kendall noticed the stowaway dog in Carlos's arms. James and Logan startled at their newest guest as well. "Carlos, what is that?"

"It's a dog!" Carlos said full of smiles, "Isn't she cute?"

The dog cooed. The guys stared at the creature that was 'puppy-dog-eyeing' them.

"I found her in this labyrinth!" Carlos added.

"Cute?" James blinked, "What if that dog's a monster?"

"GAAASP!" Carlos covered the dog's ears, shocked by James's statement. "Don't call her a monster. She's _harmless_!"

"A harmless dog wandering through the Labyrinth of Time?" Kendall pointed out, "Now that's called suspicious to me."

"True that." Logan agreed.

"Well it doesn't matter." Carlos said, " 'cause she's not gonna hurt us. Right, Carly?"

The guys blinked, shocked, "Carly?"

The dog barked in reply.

"You named a _dog_ Carly?" James joked and the guys chortled on cue trying to hold back their laughter. Carlos felt provoked, "Hey, that's not funny!"

"No, but Carly is!"

And the guys started laughing out loud. HAAAA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!

Carlos then noticed the dog was getting restless at the mockery of its name. She started barking excessively. "Uhh… guys?" he said.

But the guys continued to laugh. HAAAA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!The laughter turned deafening.

"Guys stop it. The dog's getting annoyed… guys?"

HAAAA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!

"Guys, that's not funny!"

Before they knew it, the growling dog left Carlos's grasp and leapt onto James' face. James screamed and the guys panicked as the dog was trying to claw James's face off and James was trying to pull him off.

"AAAAHHH! GETITOFFMAHFACE! GETITOFFMAHFACE! GETITOFFMAHFACE!" James was screaming.

"Dude, we're trying! Just stay still!" Kendall shouted.

"Told you not to anger the dog, but nooo…" Carlos reminded him.

"CAN YOU GLOAT LATER?" James barked, "MY FACE IS IN DANGEEER!"

The guys continued to fight each other over the clawing dog that was gripped on James's face. Finally James snatched it from his face and tossed it far down into the massive pit in front of them. The guys gasped, horrified by what James just did. James froze up!

"CARLY!" Carlos screamed.

"DUDE!" Logan screamed at James, completely panicking, "You _threw_ a dog down a pit! A DOG!"

"You outta your mind, man?" Kendall yelled.

"You killed her!" Carlos exclaimed.

"Wh-I'm sorry, all right?" James exclaimed, "But that thing almost ripped my facial skin off! Would you imagine this face…" he does the face again, "…being a meat face instead of a hot face?" He then froze up again, "Oh god…" he quickly pulled out a pocket mirror, flipped it open and quickly checked his face for any damages. His face was fine, "Ohh, thank goodness!"

"Just—!" Kendall stopped, cleared his throat and grinned, "…can we at least find out if the dog's okay?"

"How could it?" Logan reasoned, "It fell like ninety feet down a pit! Only way it could survive it was if it was a monster."

And right on cue, the ground started shaking violently like a sudden earthquake, and the guys almost lost their balance. They quickly gripped onto the wall of the cave to stay in balance.

"Uhh... G...guys...Wh-what's ha-a-appeni-i-i-i-ng…?" Carlos exclaimed through the rumbling.

The guys watched in horror a nightmare rising from the pit's depth. Massive claws gripped onto the pit's edge and a head rose from the pit. The head's full body soon followed. It was the dog. The same dog. But now twice as large as a Behemoth with none of its fluffy white fur, but a jet-black body of battered flesh with wounded scars all over, like a zombie with an enchanted aura of eldritch ensorcelment. Its eyes no longer puppy-like; they were lava-glowing, to bring terror to anyone staring at them. The fangs were jutted from its upper jaw like arrested magma and were as large as the spikiest rocks and as sharp as double-edged swords. Its horns were twice its size and resembled that of a beetle.

The creature landed right in front of the terrified guys and growled ferociously.

"It's a NIGHTMAAARE!" Kendall screamed.

"UWWWAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The guys took off running. The creature followed in the chase.

"If that's not the dog then what the hell is THAT?" James screamed.

"Hell exactly! That's a Hellhound!" Logan said, "A demon from Hell no doubt, designed to chase its quarry down to the very gates of Hell!"

"Can we not talk about Hell you guys, and get the HELL OUTTA HERE!" Kendall screamed and the guys took off running for their lives. The Hellhound still hot on their trail grew grotesque wings (yes, wings!) from its back and started batting them violently. Before the guys knew it, they were being chased by a flying Hellhound.

"UWWWAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

They turned down a corner of the cave and slipped behind a wall. The Hellhound zoomed right past by them. They took notice of the Chaos insignia on the creature's forehead. Judging by that, they knew immediately who they were dealing with.

"A Chaos Demon!" Logan whimpered.

"I thought we were safe from Chaos." James whimpered.

"Apparently not." Carlos said.

"We gotta beat it out of here guys!" Kendall said, "Before it comes back to feast on us!"

Carlos spotted something and pointed, "There!"

It was an old train, tucked between a narrow crevasse, as if it was trying to go right through that hole but had failed and ended up stuck here. And for a long period of time too, for its paint color, texture and shape looked all worn out and had broken headlights and graffiti spray paint to give its fading color some shades at least.

"We can hide there!" Carlos proposed.

"Great! Let's go!" James shouted and everyone went for the broken train. Carlos tried shifting the door open but it wouldn't budge. James quickly lend a hand, and so did Logan. Before Kendall could join in, the cave's air got pierced by the hellhound's cry. The guys watched the monster gliding freely above them, circling like a predator ready to strike on its prey. Kendall gasped, "Quick! Open it!"

"We're…ngh… trying!" the guys cried out together, still pulling at the lever, trying to slide the door open.

"It's stuck!" Logan exclaimed.

Kendall quickly joined in, and they pulled as hard as they could. All of their Crystals suddenly shone brightly and finally the train door clicked and it shifted open.

"We did it!" James exhaled.

"No, the Crystals did." Kendall replied exhaustingly.

"Yeah, but still…" Logan added.

"Oh no! It's coming right for us!" Carlos panicked just as the flying hellhound finally made its descent toward its preys. _GRAAAAWWL!_

"QUICK! Get inside!" Logan barked and everyone got inside and closed the train door shut, seconds before the Hellhound could crash in through, only to make huge dent of its head on the door. The monster continued hammering down through the door, trying to break in. The guys screamed.

xXx

**-Matoya's Cave-**

"Okay." Tina folded her arms across her chest, "What did you wanted to see me about that was so important, you couldn't have talked about it on the phone? Or the guys' phones since it's the only thing they possess that helps me talk to you from a distance."

"Oh-ho! Aren't you a funny one child." Matoya gloated, before pacing back over to her Crystal Ball, "I wanted to tell you about the Prophecy… _another _Prophecy."

"Another Prophecy?" Tina asked the witch, "What prophecy?"

The witch turned to face Tina, her buggy Crystal Eye fixated on the young White Wizard. "Never heard of the Prophecy child?" Matoya retorted, "About the Thirteenth Crystal? The Prophecy of Darkness?"

"I'll know about the Thirteenth Crystal and the Prophecy of Darkness if you could just tell me what are they're about already." Tina retorted back, "I'm not getting any younger you know?"

Matoya glared. Her eyes flashed back down a corner and then right back at Tina again and right on cue one of her brooms swooped in and gave Tina a good knock on the forehead.

"OW!" Tina backed away, rubbing her sore head, "Why did you do that for?"

"For being such a stubborn child!" Matoya hotly said, "The Prophecy of Light and Darkness have been spoken for a hundred years since Cosmos and Chaos began their conflict, and you dare question my powers? And my age?"

"I dare question the way you've been treating your fellow apprentice!" Tina said, "…And besides I just wanted to know what Prophecy you're talking about? Not smack me on the head with a broom!"

"That Prophecy…" Matoya barked, before pausing, "came to me last night…"

"Really?"

"Just listen to this, child." Matoya faced a wall, waved a hand over it and scriptures in another language came to light; each scripted letter shining as bright as the sun, "It is written… in here… by Lukhan's Prophecy: 'That as Darkness veils the World, Four Warriors of Light Shall Come', right?"

"Yes, yes." Tina nodded frantically, "And each on their hands were clutched a Crystal. Crystals of Light. Embodiment of holy power that can finish the Ultimate Darkness, bringing forth the end of one world, and the beginning of another… yes. The guys are aware of the Prophecy now. As I am."

"Yes… but now this Prophecy… the Prophecy of Darkness…" Matoya shook her head, "I'm afraid it's coming to a chilling reality. Behold it…" she waved her hand over the wall again and more lit scriptures materialized. "… in fear."

Tina approached the wall and carefully read the Prophecy. The Prophecy of Darkness. She was appalled by what she uncovered.

"As long as the Four Warriors of Light still shine, The Worlds, Old and New, are… doomed to fail?"

Tina then faced Matoya, mixed emotion of anger and confusion flooded her face. She glanced back and forth at the floating Scriptures then at Matoya.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" she barked.

"You call a Prophecy a sick joke?" Matoya raised her singed eyebrow.

"You're saying that ALL Worlds, even new ones, across the Final Fantasy Universe will die if the guys are still alive?"

"Not just the Universe. ALL universes." Matoya revealed, "And I'm not saying it. It's the Prophecy."

"PROPHECY BE DAMNED!" Tina barked, "You're the one who assigned me to look after the guys, teach them magic and the art of fighting, making them sure that they fulfill on their mission to help the Heroes of Cosmos defeat Chaos once and for all and end the War of the Gods, and now…" she was breathing shallowly, "…and now you're saying that there's no hope for the universe if they're still here? And if they're gone, there's no hope for THEM!"

"Can I say something?"

"No!" Tina vehemently said, "We have nothing… NOTHING else to say, teacher. I'm still keeping my promise, and that is to protect the guys… even if it kills me." She then started walking out, "Come on Chocolate; let's go."

"Don't believe me? That's fine!" Matoya barked, "But if I was you, and I was searching for some proof…"

Tina paused. Matoya went on. "…I would get them. Three omens you need to watch out for, young lady. Three! Shall I spit them out for ya?"

Tina turned around to face the witch again. Reluctantly, she opened her mouth to speak, but Matoya spoke first.

"Save it. I'll tell you. An innocent puppy will turn feral… they will then encounter the Phantom Train… and last and certainly not least… each one of them will bear the Mark of the l'Cie."

There was an uneasy pause. Matoya then waved her hands over her Crystal and the two wizards spied on the guys, inside the broken train. Tina's eyes widened.

"Oh, would you look at that…" Matoya gloated, "It's happening already… the Prophecy of Darkness. They've boarded the Phantom Train. It won't be a matter of time till it takes them to their Final Destination. I won't be surprise if they escape the train… alive."

The witch cackled evilly and thunder roared in response. Tina stood there, the color on her face quickly drained at the sight of the guys in trouble. She spun on her heels and darted off the cave. Chocolate followed.

xXx

"Can you make it work?" James asked Logan who was trying to manipulate the train's control panel into ignition but to no avail.

"I can't make it work!" Logan exclaimed, "This train has been dead for I don't know how long?"

"What about your magic?" Carlos proposed.

Logan shook his head, "…I sacrificed my magic back in the labyrinth. I don't know if it's even coming back."

The hellhound continued slamming on the door, trying to break through and continued to scream bloody murder. Kendall was behind the door, trying to keep it at bay. He shouted, "…you gotta do something man!"

"Uhh…" Logan quivered.

Suddenly a noise was heard, as if a gear had shifted. And before he knew it, he felt the train slowly moving its pace. Everyone looked around, feeling the train moving as well. They slowly looked at each other.

"…how did you do that?" James blinked.

"…I didn't do anything." Logan said.

"It's moving by itself?" Carlos panicked, "…aw man. We boarded a Phantom Train!"

"A Phantom Train?" the guys made a disbelieving face, "Really?"

"Oh don't believe me all you want!" Carlos barked, "Just admit that this train hasn't been operated by anyone in years! Even the conductor of this train DIED!" he pointed his shaken finger at a skeleton with a conductor cap lying at a corner of the room. The guys stared, already freaking out inside.

_MOOOAAAANS…. OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN…_

Panic struck the guys' faces. Their heart rate elevated, they were sweating under the pits, and they suddenly felt claustrophobic. The train picked up paces and started going full-speed, its ghostly laugh still renting the ceiling and an organ version of the _Final Fantasy VI Boss Battle Theme_ played through the speakers.

"UWWWAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

* * *

**Next time on _Big Time Final Fantasy_**

_-A run for their lives led the boys onboard a dark train…_

"If we don't get out of this freaky train, we're ALL gonna die!" James shouted.

_And they are not alone…_

"Welcome guests, to our domain." A dark voice spoke from the speakers of the train. The guys looked around in panic.

"Do not be frightened, for we promise this ride to be the ride of your life… MuAh! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!"

**Find out on our next _Big Time Final Fantasy_ episode**

**-****~Big Time Phantom Train~**

* * *

**Author's Note**: Go to "www . box . net / shared / jyxr3dmryq" for a sneak peek at the upcoming fanfic Super Smash Bros. 3D.

And Rhodes's wanted me to let you guys know about his latest Big Time crossover fanfic: Big Time Uprising. I think we all know where that Uprising comes from. And it looks gooooood. Go to his profile to check it out.

And only one more episode till Big Time Ivalice. Check out my twitter in these coming days for snippets at this three part chapter event.


	8. Ep6: Big Time Phantom Train

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Ep.6: __Big Time Phantom Train__**-**_

* * *

_Previously on Big Time Final Fantasy,_

_A hostile takeover on the Big Time Airship sent the boys right into the Labyrinth of Time, where they end up discovering more than just their destinies. By crossing path with a Crystal Stasis by the name of Serah, they were given true path to their destinies and were reunited once more._

_But the reunion got short-lived when they crossed path with a ferocious Hellhound, and attempting to escape, found themselves into the shelter of a ghostly train, ready to take them to their final destination…_

"…how did you do that?" James said to Logan from inside the slow moving Phantom Train.

"…I didn't do anything." Logan responded, staring back at the control panel. He didn't even touch a thing and all of the sudden the train initiated… as if at will.

"It's moving by itself?" Carlos panicked, "…aw man. We boarded a Phantom Train!"

The guys had disbelief looks on their faces. They stared at each other than back at Carlos, "A Phantom Train? Really?"

"Oh don't believe me all you want!" Carlos snapped, "Just admit that this train hasn't been operated by anyone in years! Even the conductor of this train DIED!" he pointed his shaken finger at a skeleton with a conductor cap lying at a corner of the room.

The guys stared. The rational look on their faces turned frantic.

_MOOOAAAANS…. OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN…_

They jumped and looked around at the ghostly laugh that permeated the air around them. Their heart rate elevated, they were sweating under the pits, and they suddenly felt claustrophobic. The train had picked up paces and started going on full-speed, and its ghostly laugh was still invading the ceiling. An organ version of the _Final Fantasy VI Boss Battle Theme_ played through the speakers.

"UWWWAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

xXx

The Phantom Train went on full speed. The guys watched through the windows as the haunted locomotive crashed through the caves and entered a snowy mountain plateaus on narrow unsteady tracks. They cried out for help, banging through the door, but to no avail. The music and the moaning continued to taunt them.

"Great!" James snapped, "It's no use! NO one can hear us but us!"

"Well, look on the bright side…" Kendall said, "The train is not as terrifying as our dream."

Carlos shook his head, "Please don't mention that dream."

"Yeah…" Logan quivered, "Just thinking about that monster makes me wanna… makes me wanna..." he suddenly whimpered just thinking about Feral Chaos. He went to sit down on one of the passengers' seats, folding his arms across his legs with his chin resting on the knees and shakily rocking back and forth.

"Okay…" Kendall said, already feeling unease, "Maybe that was a bad statement. B-but think about it. We're in a train… sure, it's a ghostly train, but we're safe… I guess…"

James, Carlos and Logan just stared at Kendall. Kendall took a deep breath and went on, "What I'm trying to say here is that nothing else's gonna come out of the blue to get us."

The _Final Fantasy VI Boss Battle Theme _played again through the speakers.

"…except that MUSIC!"

"HOW CAN WE BOARD A PHANTOM TRAIN?" James barked.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Carlos barked back, "But SOMEBODY was stupid enough to spot that train!"

Logan squinted, "That was you."

There was an uneasy silence.

"Oh."

"Look, if we don't get out of this freaky train, we're ALL gonna die!" James shouted.

"And how do you know that?" Logan argued.

"What do you think?" Carlos countered, "We're in a train, and nobody's driving it, and WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

"GUYS!" Kendall shouted, "Please! Calm down. Be at ease. We need to think about how we can get out. We'll split. Logan, try to see if you can stop this train. James and Carlos, you go find help. There's gotta be someone in this train who is still alive... me, I'll try to find an exit."

"Move out!" the guys said together and just when they took a step toward their destination, every light on the train got shut off.

_MOOOAAAANS…. OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN… _the ghostly voice echoed again.

"Well, this is fantastic..." Carlos mumbled.

xXx

Jack blinked and squinted. He laid face-up against the earth with the feel of clover grass moist against him. His eyes peered forth to see ghostly apparition of five ladies towering over him, and rays of sunlight seeping down past them to caress his cheek with its warmth.

"He's waking up…"

He blinked a couple of times to rid of the blurry vision circling before him. He then groggily mustered a smile. Despite the blur, the ladies before him were kinda hot, "Am I dreaming…?"

He suddenly felt a kick on his side.

"OW!" he screamed, toppling to his side. The blurry vision vanished and he could see clearly who kicked him: Lightning.

"No, you're not dreaming, idiot." Lightning hissed.

"You just hit your head _really _hard." Fate added.

Jack glanced. Aria, Fate, Valerie, Reina, and Lighting _were_ the five girls he was envisioning. Disappointment filled his face. "Oh, it's just you." He muttered.

"Yeah… it's just us." Reina scoffed, "Like you have nothing better to do than to fantasize us as the girls next door."

"Are you okay?" Valerie asked Jack with concern in her voice. "We thought you were a goner."

"Wish he was a goner." Fate joked. Aria elbowed her. "Ow." She hissed.

"So the Sleeping Beauty is awake." Said Ryuji who came in along with Shiki. He was with Laguna, Tifa, and Kain. The company carried with them woods needed to start a fire. Jack started to his feet, surprised to see the newly gathered group. Now it was a party.

"You guys are all here at last." Jack said, "What happened?"

Everyone exchanged glances, "A lot." Lightning said briefly. "That's what happened."

"After we crashed here, Lighting and the others were nearby when they found us and woke us up." Aria added.

"So where are we now?" Jack glanced at his surroundings. There were patches of grasses and a long winding concrete floor that lead all the way up set of stairs besides the group. He could see a water fountain behind and cemented walls with drawings farther north, east and west. It was as if the group was inside the inner gardens of a building. The woods that Ryuji, Laguna, Tifa and Kain have gathered were woods from pine trees, fresh , damped and already cut by perhaps Kain's and Ryuji's fine blades.

"The Fane of the Gucuma Qul," Kain replied, "A shrine onboard Zephyr of the Windward Isles. It is one of the Islands in Lemures."

"We were lucky that we didn't split up when the ship exploded." Fate added, "Well, except you three." She said to Jack, Valerie and Aria.

"Actually, we _did_ split up." Laguna said before dropping the woods and so did the other groups. Everyone looked surprised.

"What do you mean?" Aria asked.

"Your friend, Tina was it?" Laguna said, "She's still with her teacher, right?"

"…and Axel's not with us because he decided all of the sudden that he was heading over to Ivalice." Tifa added. "Something about the Sky Tourneys taking place…?"

"And as for Barthandelus…" Lighting said, "He's gone too. But just because he's gone, doesn't mean he's not going to come back."

"The only ones who are _actually_ missing…" Ryuji disclosed, "…are the Four Warriors."

The group sighed exasperatedly.

"Where could they be?" Valerie said, "Of all places?"

A dark portal suddenly opened up behind Valerie. "Whoa, Val. Step back." Ryuji stepped forward, pushing Valerie out of the portal's way. He then stepped back so did everyone alertly.

They watched Tina and Chocolate emerging out of the portal, and landed to the ground. The duo appeared exhausted.

"Tina!" Valerie went to help her friends up. Jack, Fate, Aria, and Ryuji did too.

"Tina, you're okay?" Valerie asked.

"No…" Tina lamented, "…the guys are in trouble."

"Krrrroooans…" Chocolate moaned.

The gang looked at each other, worried. Tina glanced at her new surroundings, "I thought I boarded the Phantom Train."

"Wh-what do you mean they're in trouble?" Jack inquired.

"The guys boarded a Phantom Train!" Tina explained, "I saw it in Matoya's Cauldron! If we don't do something, they're all gonna die."

"But use your magic to take us there!" Aria said.

"I can't." Tina breathed shallowly, "I've exhausted all my powers. It'll take me two hours just to restore them."

"W-we can't just sit by and watch!" Fate said.

Tina held her throbbing head and slowly sat down on the grass, "Ohh what have I done?"

"Tina, it's not your fault." Ryuji said.

"B-but it is." Tina lamented, "I thought I was training the Four Warriors of Light and now I was careless to see that they have now boarded the Phantom Train, they just encountered a Demon Dog… ALL the signs that say otherwise are coming true! And if we save them, we might aggravate the situation! But if we don't they will surely—!"

"Wait a minute." Lightning interrupted her, "what are you talking about? What situation?"

Tina was silent. She could hear Matoya's voice now tormenting her mind,

_"Three omens you need to watch out for, young lady. Three! Shall I spit them out for ya? Save it. I'll tell you. An innocent puppy will turn feral… they will then encounter the Phantom Train… and last and certainly not least… each one of them will bear the Mark of the l'Cie."_

She remained silence, unable to think of how to break the news to her comrades, that the Four Warriors of Light could instead be the Four Warriors of Darkness. It was just too painful just to tell them that news as it was to carry it.

xXx

The Phantom Train was now speeding through mountains of snow, it's dimmed moonlight provided some fainting light inside the train, but it wasn't enough for the guys to see each other.

Finally there was a click and the light came back on. They sighed in relief, able to see each other again… except… one of them was missing.

"Uhh, guys?" Carlos looked around, "Where's Logan?"

James looked around also, "He's not here."

"Logan?" Kendall called out, then everyone followed, "Logan?" they continued looking around, the passengers seats, behind the seats, behind the doors leading further down the train… no sign of Logan.

"He's nowhere on the train!" James panicked.

"Aw, man! The Phantom ghosts took Logan!" Carlos panicked.

"We need to split." Kendall said.

"Split!" James and Carlos exclaimed.

"We'll have a better chance to find Logan." Kendall said, "You guys go this way," he pointed forward, "And I'll go that way." He pointed behind him.

"Got it!"

The guys split up and began their search for their friend.

About fifteen minutes elapsed and there was still no sign of Logan. Kendall penetrated through yet another door of the train and found himself in a section of the train with lots of doors side-by-side with each other. They could be cabins, he thought, stepping forth.

"Logan!" He shouted out for his friend, going through all rooms and still nothing. He stopped by one room, was about to enter it when the door clicked and swung open. It was Logan! At last!

"Oh…" Kendall let out a sigh of relief, "…there you are. Where have you been?"

"What's up?"

"What's up?" Kendall questioned angrily, "We were looking for you! We thought you were gone!"

"Oh!" Logan shook his head and smiled, "No, I'm fine. See? Sorry guys for the worry."

KLINK KLONK CRAAASH!

Kendall looked around at the noise. Logan however looked around just by moving his eyes to each corner, almost avoiding Kendall's stare.

"What was that noise?" Kendall finally asked.

"It's something on the train." Logan reassured, "I just found a way to deal with it before we can escape."

"I thought you were dealing with the control panel."

"It's part of it. Now go find James and Carlos, and tell them to meet me here."

"Got it." Kendall said and was off.

The _Final Fantasy VI Boss Battle Theme _played again through the speakers. Logan rolled his eyes, already annoyed by the constant tune.

"Would you stop that?" he shouted from inside the room he was in. A head popped out of the room. It was James!

"Sorry." He grimaced, "Force of habit. I just LOOOVE that organ." He watched Kendall disappearing down the train corridor, "I see you were busy with Kendall."

Logan shrugged.

The two closed the door behind them and locked it tight. They were inside what looked like a dark restaurant pub. There was a podium, facing lots of tables and chairs, a sidebar, where one would help themselves with some alcoholic drinks and the air had that scented odor of cologne mixed with champagne. Very strong odor. Of course there was an enormous pipe organ made of diamond and crystals tucked at the far wall of the podium, surrounded by fancy but dim-lighted candlelights and all other sorts of instruments like violins, harps, trumpets, and a piano for the occasional jazz singing.

Logan with a big smile clasped his hands and said, "All I know is that I cannot WAIT till he sees this. Pull the cord."

James proceeded to pull down the cord. And descending from the ceiling right before them was…!

Another Logan! All tied up to a strong rope and struggling to break free.

His mouth was also duct-taped to prevent him from shouting for help. This could mean one thing: this Logan was possibly the REAL Logan Mitchell!

"Aww…" M. Logan sighed, "…did I hurt your feelings, Logey?"

Logan stared coldly at his double.

"Hey, don't feel bad man." James said to Logan, "I too have an evil twin…" he laughed before frowning, "…and I hate his passion-driven, pretty-boy-looking, desperate-for-fame face JUST as much as you hate yours."

The tied up Logan gasped through his duct-taped mouth.

"Told you I would be back, didn't I?" spoke yet another familiar voice to Logan. It was M. Carlos, aka Solrac of Blazing Fire. "…and now my revenge would be complete."

"Why hello there Solrac." M. Logan greeted his evil comrade.

"Nagol of the Whipping Wings." Solrac called M. Logan, then faced James, "Semaj of the Troubling Waters." He smiled, "Always a pleasure." He then faced Logan again, "I see that you've met my 'Big Time Rush buddies'. Unfortunately, Lladnek couldn't get to meet you. You know, Lladnek of the Crushing Rocks… Kendall's Manikin…"

Logan shook his head. A mix of shock and frustration flushed his face.

"…yeah." Solrac went on, "He has some…evil twin's life to ruin."

Logan continued to struggle, angrily screaming through his duct-taped mouth.

"Shall we go ruin some lives?" Nagol proposed.

"Way ahead of you!" Semaj said and the three Manikins went for the door. Just as they were about to reach it, they vanish in thin air, leaving behind their evil laughter.

_Muah! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!_

xXx

Kendall slowed his paces as he neared James and Carlos.

"Found Logan." He said, "Told me to tell you he's fine."

"But why is he not with you?" James asked.

Kendall shook his head, "Tryin' to get us out of here. Who knows what technical schemes are concocting in his head right now?"

"Just so you know, we've double-checked." Carlos shook his head, "No one's on this train."

_MOOOAAAANS…. OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN… OOAAN… __OOAAN… OOAAN…_

The guys looked around once again at the cry of the voice.

"Really?" James squinted, "No one?"

"We need to search again." Kendall said. "There may be some hidden secret passages on this train that we need to find."

"Got it." Said James and he darted off in a hurry. Carlos was about to follow when Kendall stopped him, "Oh, uhh… Carlos." He called out, "You might wanna tone down on the recklessness quite a bit."

"Recklessness?" Carlos blinked, "What are you talking about? I'm not…" he giggled nervously, "I'm not THAT reckless."

"Ohh…" Kendall paused, then turned around musing on what else to said, "Well… that's not what most people say." He started walking away, as if dragging on the conversation and somehow taking Carlos as bait. It worked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Carlos followed Kendall swiftly, "most people? What do you mean, most people?" he sounded desperate.

"well…" Kendall quipped, "I don't wanna say names, but uhh… _James…_said something to me about you being uhh… what's the word?" he once again dragged on, "Immature…?"

Carlos's eyes flickered with shock. Kendall watched his friend intensely from one eye's corner, "Yeah…" he broke the silence, lamenting.

"Immature?" Carlos repeated, turned to the direction where James went off to and then faced Kendall again, "My friend James? ME?"

Kendall nodded, pursing his lips almost as if pouting.

"That's just absurd!" Carlos argued.

Kendall tutted, "Don't say I didn't warn ya, pal." He patted Carlos's shoulder then walked away to other direction, leaving him frozen in betrayal. As he was walking away from the distraught friend, Kendall smirked. His eyes no longer green were flashing silver… his Manikin!

Of course, Carlos didn't see it, as he was too busy grouching over what 'Kendall' told him; and forming his fists he marched down the hall, where James went.

xXx

Carlos stepped into a room to find James. It was a room of burning charcoal and red steam. It was the coal and engine room where train workers burned coals to a large furnace to keep the train's engine running.

James couldn't stop staring at his reddish hellish surroundings

"Okay, that is scary…" he mumbled in his deep voice.

Carlos stared at him coldly, "Yeah. It _is _scary." His voice suddenly turned deep and cold as he creepily approached the preoccupied James, "reeeeaaaal scaaaaary…"

Two blades shot out from underneath his sleeves, _Assassin Creed_-style. His chestnut eyes glimmered silver once more. It was Carlos's Manikin: Solrac.

The organ version of the _Final Fantasy VI Boss Battle Theme_ played through the speakers again. Solrac stopped his tracks, his blades slipped back into his sleeves. James turned to face Solrac who quickly put on his best innocent face.

"Okay, this music has got to stop." James said, looking around. Just as he looked away from Solrac, the evil Manikin snapped his fingers and the music stopped, startling James.

"Uh?" James blinked, "Oh, okay. Thank you." He smiled.

"Uh… James." Solrac approached James again, his innocent 'poker' face were still on, "Can I… ask you something? Y'know? Like… mano o mano?"

"Sure buddy, shoot."

"Well…" Solrac sighed, running his hands from his hair down to his face as if in utter frustration. He then clasped his hands together, leaving his two index fingers pointing forward James and he spoke, squinting, "I don't know if I should hurt you… or not hurt you…"

He quickly added upon seeing James's smile fading into shock, "…but before you say anything else—!"

"You… wanna hurt me?"

Solrac shook his head, "No, it's just…"

"Dude, I thought we were buddies!"

"We are buddies! It's Kendall I'm talking about."

James' eyes widened, "Kendall wants to hurt me?"

"No!"

"But I thought we were—!"

"Buddies I know. But…"

James quipped, "Ohh, I get it! He's jealous of my beauty now is he? Huh? He can't get some of this, huh?" he once again did the face. Solrac frowned.

"Huh? He can't get some of this?" he provocatively danced around Solrac as if taunting him some more, "HUH? He's afraid of this! Can't get some of this?"

Solrac just stood there, vein slowly growing from his forehead. He formed his fists and was this close to release his blades from under his sleeves again when he stopped them halfway down.

"Iamsurroundedbyanidiot evenKujaismoresanethanheis getaholdofyourselfSolrac youhaveamissiontofulfill notabodytodecapi—!" he turned around and called out with a happy tone, "—JAMES!"

"What?" James snapped.

"Hi. How ya doin'? Listen. He's not jealous of you, okay?"

"Oh…"

"He's _mortified _of you."

"…oh…"

There was a cold silence hanging above the duo.

"Yeah…" Solrac went on, "He wants YOU to stop caring about yourself. He thinks you're insecure."

James darkly stared, "What?"

"Yeah… that's why I didn't want to hurt you. It was to tell you that. But Kendall, you and I… we are buds… and I'm always honest, and he told me to keep it secret… sorry it's a big shock coming from _Kendall _but I hate it for you to kill the messenger over that, but you know what they say…" he hissed, "…you should kill the _sender_ instead."

James stood silent. Solrac patted his shoulder. His poker face fought, choking back laughter. "Good luck with that." He said in a low hissing tone, and then he walked away smiling.

It took James a moment to collect his thoughts.

"INSECURE?" he barked before darting out of the furnace chamber, full of rage. Once again he stopped and barked again to the air, "INSECURE?" he slammed the furnace room door hard.

xXx

**Break**

Here's a little BTFF question for y'all.

- _Big Time Ivalice _kicks off in the next chapter! What are you expecting to see in the three-part episode event?

Share your input in the review.

**Break**

xXx

Kendall watched James coming at him, full force. He could sense a dark vibe extracting from him as he closed in.

"Hey J—! Whoa!" James cut him off by grabbing his shoulders, spinning him in place and pinned him to a nearby wall so fast, Kendall didn't see that coming.

"Whoa, hey!"

James darkly stared, "You won't believe what Carlos Roberto Garcia just said to me."

Kendall raised his eyebrow. James, using Carlos' full name in one sentence was never a good sign. James went on, "He told me that you…" he poked Kendall's chest twice, "…are bossy and uptight."

"Wait… what?"

James released him and broadly smiled, "Well, gotta go!"

He took off in a mad dash, leaving Kendall bewildered.

James—or rather Semaj, since he told Kendall a lie like his comrades—crashed back into the music room to meet his Manikins buddies, anxiously awaiting.

"WELL?" they said together.

"Oh, I told him." Semaj responded.

"Did you at least see his face?" Solrac asked.

"Oh, I saw his face." Semaj leaned, "He looked piiiisssed."

"Beautiful." Nagol smirked, clasping his hands together, "Time for operation BFB… Best Friends Betrayal."

They high-fived together.

They suddenly heard loud muffling and struggling behind them. It was Logan, still tied up and struggling to break free from his prison. He growled under the duct tape in his mouth, glaring at his captors.

"So what do we do with _this_ best friend?" asked Lladnek.

The guys briefly glanced at each other.

"We kill him." Nagol said.

With a snap of his finger, Logan heard rumblings from both his sides. He watched the two far walls besides him shifting and rumblings closing in on him.

"In just a couple of minutes," Nagol said to his twin, "you Logan will be pancake. Logan Pancake."

"Or something _less _than pancake." Semaj said.

The Manikins could picture the outcome and gagged. They laughed together and took their leave, leaving Logan at the mercy of the two walls.

xXx

Jack peeked from a wall corner inside the temple. He looked around. No enemies on sight, he conducted. He turned to face his comrades, "Psst. Coast is clear." He whispered and he breezed right into temple. The rest of the group followed.

"Jack. I don't know why you're making us stay on high alert like that? They're no enemies here. It's deserted."

Jack moved to Valerie and whistled, "Shh! With a finger pressed to his lips. Valerie jumped.

"You can never be too careful in these temple's, honey." He said, "An abandoned temple is always filled with monsters."

The party proceeded, with Jack leading in front. They turned down to yet another corner leading to a grand room in the midst of the temple.

"Tina. You haven't answered our question about the four guys." Lightning said to Tina, "What is it that you regret?"

Tina hesitated. She wanted to tell Lightning. She wanted to share to all of her friends what she discovered. About how the guys boarded the Phantom Train, after recently encountered a demon dog… all signs were pointing to the fact that she was helping the Warriors of Darkness, out to defeat Cosmos instead. The Prophecy of Darkness was coming true, and fast approaching.

"Are you all right?" Kain said to Tina, cutting off her train of thoughts.

"Huh? W-well… it's just that…" Tina sighed heavily, "…it's just that they boarded the Phantom Train and… Matoya showed me what was going to happen if they boarded the train… but I guess it wasn't registered to me yet. All I know was that something bad was going to happen if they ever boarded the train."

"Did they?" Ryuji said.

"Yes." Tina replied, "I'm afraid they're gonna die and that there's nothing I can do to stop it."

"We're here!" the gang heard Jack and they quickly rushed up to him. They found him at the Fane's Inner Sanctum. And up a set of stairs before them stood a large six-winged bird, and an altar where they saw a large Crystal. It was as if the bird was watching over the Crystal. And the group—except Lightning and Kain—appeared tensed by its presence.

Jack shuddered, "Man… I don't know about you guys but I have a baaaad feeling about this."

"You ate too much pork, you now feel like throwing up?" Ryuji asked.

"No." Jack said before frowning and smacking his lips on cue. He gently caressed his tummy, "And thanks for the reminder."

"Look out!" Aria shouted, and the group noticed a stampede of monsters coming toward them. An army of Ixion, Raidens, Alraune, and White Hares. The Alraune were up front along with the White Hare. The rest of the badass monsters were following behind.

"Get ready." Lightning pulled out her weapon and the gang followed cue.

The Ixion team leapt off the stairs and neighed wildly before tackling the Magick sisters down. They quickly recovered and took position. Tina and Lightning charged with their staff and blade, full swing, striking the enemies. Reina pulled out her guns and assaulted the incoming Alraune and Raidens. But some Raidens managed to dodge the bullets and swung their staffs upward, sending volts of lightning strikes her way, striking her to the ground. Jack struck more incoming Ixion and Alraune, fending them off from him. He then tugged an arm at an incoming Ixion and shot a dark ball at it, sending it flying.

Ryuji ran through more Ixions, striking them with his black and silver spears. He leapt off the ground, and Shiki jumped off his left shoulder. Her body took a bright glow and her shape morphed into a 400 feet of blue and white beastly fury. She unleashed a ferocious roar just as Ryuji landed her back and together they flew around. Shiki shot blasts of fire and ice attacks at her assailants, freezing and scorching them all on cue.

Couple of Ixions landed to the ground defeated. But the White Hares beside them raised their staffs up and warm faint light overwhelmed their battered bodies. The Ixions stumbled back to their hooves again, ready for some more action and charged once more.

Lightning and Kain kept attacking the monster army, their backs glued to each other. Lightning noticed a White Hare healing a Raiden back to life and cried out to Kain, pointing, "There!"

"Grrrr!" Kain went on one knee, charging up his full strength then leapt off the ground, "FLIGHT!"

The White Hare watched Kain descend at him, his lance ran right through its fluffy chest. With his lance, he swung at more of the intruding white creatures, knocking them apart. Then flung his Gugnir's Lance attack at yet another charging Ixion, preventing him from intruding his assault against the healing rabbits.

Laguna and Reina were assaulting more of the charging monsters with their guns. They then watched Tifa on top of an Ixion, riding him toward more of the monsters, distracting them. Finally distracted they felt bullets striking their chests hard. They neighed ferociously and bled to death.

"Is everyone all right?" Tina called out to her teammates, still busy with the monsters.

"We're fine!" Lightning shouted back. "Go to the Crystal! We'll meet you there!"

"I told you there were monsters at places like this!" Jack called out.

Tina ignored Jack and ran up the stairs. But then a loud crash startled her enough to fall on her butt. It was as if something heavy had just fallen as heavy rain of rocks and debris crumbled before her. The hazy fog of rocks faded to reveal a massive tarantula, its crawling legs the size of tree trunks, and its beaded eyes fixing on its intruders who had lost focus from the other monsters to direct their attention to the creature. It hissed.

"Oh my gash!" Jack cried out.

The spider quickly moved toward Tina. Tina tugged her palm at the spider and a bright light emitted, blinding the spider. The spider hissed. Tina took that chance to escape the creature. The monsters also saw their chance to attack the rest of the gang. The battle resumed.

The spider recovered, turned around and spotted Tina still running up the stairs. She stopped once again at another floor of the sanctum when she watched the spider charging again. The spider brought down a leg at Tina. "Aaaah!" she quick-rolled, nimbly dodging the attack. The spider swung another leg again and she jumped back, once again, dodging the attack. She thrust her palm at the spider and shot again another bright light, blinding the spider. The spider hissed again in pain.

"CHOCOLATE!" Tina called out.

"Sqwwaaaack!" Her Chocobo took a great leap, right over the giant spider. It landed on its legs and sauntered toward Tina. Tina jumped and landed on her mount, the duo still running up the stairs toward the Crystal. The spider gave chase.

Tina and Chocolate finally reach the Crystal and screeched to a stop. The duo turned around and watched the spider, reading to thrust its two legs right at its prey.

"AAAAAH!" Tina and Chocolate screamed.

A bright light suddenly shot out from the ceiling and struck the spider's abdomen, flattening it and shooting out its gooey blood. The spider hissed in pain and crashed to the ground. Tina, Chocolate and the group watched more columns of bright light raining down on the monsters from up the ceiling, striking them down hard, killing them. The monsters were no more.

The rest of the group ran up the stairs to join Tina and Chocolate.

"What happened?" Aria asked.

"Did you do this?" Fate asked.

"How did you do that?" Valerie asked.

"I thought you suck at White Magick." Jack said.

Tina shook her head, "No, I didn't do this," she then glowered at Jack, "And no, I don't suck at White Magick."

"Then… who could have done it?" Ryuji asked.

Reina pointed over Tina and Chocolate, "Why not ask that old man in that bright cloak."

All eyes turned to face what Reina described as an old man in a snow white cloak. They could see and feel a bright holy light radiating from his skin. The shimmering light slowly faded to reveal his face: he had long white beard and bushy frowning eyebrow, and very slanted eyes that made him look almost sad and sleepy. It was the same wise man that stood before Big Time Rush when they arrived at the Final Fantasy.

The group slowly approached the wise man. But Lightning and Kain quickly pushed to be in front of him.

"Master Lukhain…?" Lightning called his name.

All eyes glanced at Lightning, "Lukhain?" Tina said, "As in Lukhain's Prophecy?"

"In the flesh." Kain replied.

_I come bearing message… message of hope…_

_"_Hope?" Fate raised an eyebrow.

_By the time you reach Ivalice, the Four Warriors will have already been there._

The group exchanged glances.

_And beware… the Thirteenth Crystal._

When Tina heard the Thirteenth Crystal, she remembered once again the Prophecy of Darkness. The one that was coming true. She looked away, heart still pounding.

"Okay," Jack chuckled, "what and…uh, how is that a message of hope exactly?" he said to the old man.

The old man vanished.

"He's gone." Tifa said.

"It's always the same with this old man." Laguna said.

"Okay, what do we know about the freaking Thirteen Crystal?" Jack muttered.

"I know the Thirteen Crystal." Tina said, catching all attention. With a sigh of distress, she turned to face her comrades, "It's a Crystal that harbors a powerful Time Magick."

"Time Magick?" Reina blinked.

"It supposed to be bringing us back in time when the 13th Cycle of War took place. But from that time on, Chaos had won the War."

The group looked at each other.

"…okay…" Laguna said.

"…but that's not one of the rounds before the next cycle." Tina went on, "That was the end of the War! Chaos won! He used his Manikins to destroy all the Warriors, and Cosmos couldn't be revived. Darkness from that day on ruled every corner of the universe. There was no hope for humanity. No hope for the eternal. That was the end."

There was a chilling silence.

"That was the Prophecy of Darkness scholars and prophets have been talking about for years." Tina then mumbled, "…at least, part of it."

"…but what about the Four Warriors of Light?" Valerie said.

Tina shook her head, "No show. They weren't even here."

"But they're here now." Ryuji said, "We can now avert this Prophecy of Darkness and the Thirteen Crystal from coming."

"Yeah, but you see…" Tina hesitated once more, "But now—!" she sighed, "We need to head to Ivalice. Lukhain said that we will meet the guys back here."

"He didn't actually say we _will_ meet them. He said they would have _already_ been there." Jack corrected.

"Okay, who cares what goes on in that freaking mind of that freaking man?" Reina snapped, "We're going to Ivalice, one way or another, and we will find these four wandering hockey kids."

"So there we have it." Lightning said, "We're going to Ivalice. We find the guys, and we'll go from there. We'll risk it. We'll just have to see what other sick trick fate has for us. Prophecy or not, Chaos will be defeated. Let's go."

And the group turned around and ran down the stairs toward the exit.

xXx

The Phantom Train traveled through more mountainous snowy terrains. The ride was just not ending.

Kendall, James, and Carlos reunited. But the reunion was quite bittersweet. The guys were exchanging murderous glares at each other. Kendall on Carlos, Carlos on James, and James on Kendall.

"Immature?" Carlos barked at James.

"Insecure?" James barked at Kendall.

"Bossy and uptight?" Kendall barked at Carlos.

"I've never said that!" Carlos snapped back.

"Oh! So you never said that Kendall here was bossy and uptight the same way you told me that he told you that I'm insecure about my looks?"

"What?" Kendall snapped.

"Hey!" Carlos pointed the finger at James, "I'm not the one spreading lies here! Like you telling Kendall here that I'm immature!"

"Who told you you're immature?" James raised an eyebrow.

"YOU!"

"Wait a minute…" Kendall tried to calm the group down but James and Carlos jumped at him, "Quiet ugly!" James snapped at Kendall.

"HEY!"

"How dare you telling me that James told you that I'm immature!" Carlos snapped at Kendall.

"What?" Kendall frowned.

"You know there's a perfectly good reason WHY I care about my looks!" James snapped back, "And this has NOTHING to do with my insecurity." He then paused, "AND I'M NOT INSECURE!"

"GUYS, would you just—!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Logan (or rather Nagol) came into the dispute, calming the group down, "What's with all the hubbub?" he couldn't help but smile at the disaster he and his brother Manikins had just unleashed.

Kendall, James and Carlos started yelling on top of each other, trying to explain what has happened. Nagol raised his hands midair and moved them down in a calming gesture. The guys stopped.

"One at a time please." He said before facing Carlos, "Carlos, you go first."

"James told me that Kendall said that I'm never serious in what I do." Carlos angrily said, "He said that I'm immature."

"I've never said that!" Kendall countered.

"Shh…" Nagol said to Kendall, "You'll have your turn next." He then faced James, "James?"

James chuckled, "Well, first of all I've never told Carlos here what Kendall said."

"Thank you." Kendall said again.

James went on, "BUT, Carlos did let me know of what he said… that I'm insecure with my looks and never care about my buddies."

Kendall rolled his eyes, "Come on, why would I say that to Carlos about you?"

All heads turned to Kendall.

Kendall hesitated, "...okay maybe half of it is true, but THE POINT IS, it's that you, James told me that Carlos told you that I'm bossy and uptight!"

"Dude, why would I tell James that you're bossy and uptight?" Carlos asked.

"I don't know!" Kendall snapped, "Just to get back at me?"

"FOR WHAT?"

"I would have gotten back at you for calling me insecure!" James snapped.

"But I didn't say it!" Kendall countered, "Carlos told you that lie!"

"HEY! NOW YOU'RE CALLING ME A LIAR?" Carlos snapped again and once again the guys were at each other's throat, and Nagol couldn't help but cherish the three friends going at it. But that smile faded when Carlos looked behind Nagol and pointed, laughing, "Hey, James! That's you!"

All heads turned to stare over at what Carlos was pointing at. Nagol also turned around. There they saw Semaj, frozen like a deer caught in a headlight. Semaj quickly slipped back into the room and locked the door. The commotion quickly died and Kendall, James, and Nagol stared at each other, shocked. But Carlos was still laughing.

"That's so funny! That guy looks just like…!" he finally stopped, frozen solid in stunned recognition.

"Uhh, guys?" Nagol laughed nervously, "What's going on?"

There were no words. Only brief glances, targeting both Nagol and each other. The trio swiftly started on their feet, heading straight for the door Semaj went into. Nagol went at their pursuit, "Guys… come on." He was still laughing nervously; trying his best to distract the guys from the evil scheme he knew it was going to be exposed at any second.

James jiggled on the doorknob but it was locked. Carlos pulled out his helmet by magic, gave it a quick tap and charged, knocking the door down in one tackle. The guys entered the music room and there they saw Logan, tied up, and helplessly watching the two walls closing in on him.

"LOGAN!" the guys cried out.

Logan yelled through the duct-tape in his mouth.

"Sorry guys, but it's bedtime." Nagol's right arm morphed into a massive hammer, and he swung. The trio flew right to a wall, knocked unconscious. Logan yelled again through the duct-tape in his mouth.

Nagol's arm returned to normal.

Logan furrowed his brow, growling in furious anger. His eyes suddenly lit up and a red glowing aura took over his body. Nagol stared in shock. Logan's aura burned right through the rope that was tying him up and he easily shattered them into pieces.

"WHAT?"

Logan descended to the ground, but seeing that he didn't have the seconds left for him to land before the two walls could crush him, he wall-jumped on the two walls and leapt off the stage mere seconds before the two walls collided!

Logan landed, rolling onto the safe ground and quickly stood onto his knees, facing Nagol who was still staring in shock.

Logan ripped the duct tape off his mouth, "How dare you hurt my friends."

Logan swung his arm and telepathically Nagol flew right to a wall. Logan came charging at him and extended his arm toward him, "FIRAJA!"

A fireball shot out from the palm of his hand, but before it could hit Nagol, it evaporated. Logan stopped,

"Huh?" he stared at his hand then shook it. This time nothing came out, "Firaja!" he tried again, but nothing, "It's not working!"

Nagol jumped back to his feet, glaring coldly at his twin. "What's the matter, Logey?" he grinned, "Still out of juices from the Labyrinth of Time?"

Logan said nothing. He just stood there helpless.

"Let me help you." Nagol tugged his arms toward Logan, "METEORA!"

The entire music room got overwhelmed by a bright light and Logan watched a massive Meteor heading his way. With a loud thunderous crash, Logan got sent flying to the two walls that had collided. Nagol approached his opponent, and aimed his palm at him, ready to finish him.

"Not so fast, creep."

Nagol heard James's voice. He glanced over his shoulders. James, Kendall, and Carlos had their weapons aiming at him.

"Leave him alone." Kendall said.

"No…"

The guys felt sword tips resting on the back of their necks. They slowly turned to peek over their shoulders. Their evil twins had them at swordpoint. The blades they held were broadsword, and they held it with only one hand. They were red and the body of their blade was covered in meat and pumping veins.

"…you leave them alone." Lladnek said.

"What happened?" Semaj asked.

"Nagol happened." Solrac replied, "Told you your plan wasn't gonna work in the first place."

"It was working perfectly till Semaj here showed up like a wandering squirrel!" Nagol whined.

"Hey, don't blame me. Blame yourself." Semaj said, "And your twin."

"Would you freaks shut up?" James said angrily.

"Wait… let them talk." Carlos said, "This is good."

Kendall blinked, "…is what good?"

Carlos secretly pulled out of his pocket a smoke bomb and dropped it. The bomb detonated and the smoke quickly overwhelmed the entire music room. The smoke quickly cleared up and the guys were gone. The Manikins looked around for them.

"Sorry to cut you off on your chit-chat," Carlos caught the Manikins' attention. The guys were at the balcony section of the music room, "but we got a train to un-board."

"And the sooner we get off, the better." Kendall said.

Logan smiled at his comrades, "Thanks guys."

"Hey, no sweat." James replied.

Solrac smirked, "You do realize that this train will take you to your doom right?"

The guys stopped smiling.

"That will be your final destination…" Solrac went on, "doom."

"The Phantom Train is heading straight into a ravine as we speak." Semaj said. "And that ravine will take everyone. And anyone on board into the River Styx, and death shall be filled with decapitation, impalement, and uhh… oh right!" he then said in a deep voice, "Chaos."

"Remember that dream that you guys had?" Lladnek said. "That was him. In Feral Form."

"And once you meet him after an agonizing death… YOU WILL SUFFER ETERNITY AT HIS MERCY!" Nagol cackled, and the evil Manikins laughed along.

GaaaAh! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

The Manikins suddenly teleported to the guys' frightening eyes.

"So welcome guests, to our domain." Their dark voice overwhelmed through the speakers of the train, overlapping each other. The guys looked around in panic. "But do not be frightened, for we promise this ride to be the ride of your life… GaaaaAh! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!"

"RRUNNN!" Carlos screamed and the guys took off screaming for their lives. They reached the corridor with many rooms. They opened one and saw Nagol standing there, maniacally smiling. "You can run…"

They closed the door on him and went for another door. It was Semaj behind it, grinning creepily, "…but you can't hide…"

They closed the door on him too and rushed to yet another door. There stood Lladnek, sadistically mocking the guys, "…but we got you right on our claws."

They closed the door, turned, and there was Solrac, haughtily standing before them like a ghostly apparition.

"…for we the Manikins will render pain and excessive torture on you, all the days of your travels!" he cackled.

"BREAK THE WINDOWS!" Kendall suggested.

"The windows?" Carlos exclaimed.

"You're crazy?" James and Logan both exclaimed.

"It's our only chance!" Kendall said.

"CHARGE!" James shouted out and the guys went for the window.

CRAAASH! The windows shattered and the guys toppled over each other and down a long steep snowy hill they went, rolling into a complete stop after reaching a flat surface. They stood up, freezing over a blizzard and howling wind that was coming down.

"You guys okay?" Kendall shouted through the blizzard winds. The guys could only nod. Logan suddenly gawked, frozen solid like deer caught in a headlight.

"Oh no! It's coming right at us!"

All heads turned to see the train's headlight flashing before them. It didn't take the guys long enough to figure out that they were standing on the train rails.

HOOOONNNNK! HOOOONNNNK! HOOOONNNNK! The train cried.

"Get outta the way!" James screamed and everyone jumped out of the train's way. The train zoomed past them, nimbly brushing by. The train was halfway down the windy fog when it stopped, turned around in a U-turn, and came charging at the guys again.

"UWWWAAAAAAAH!" The guys started running. The train was at full pursuit.

_NO ONE CAN ESCAPE THE RIDE OF THE PHANTOM TRAIN! ALL PASSENGERS MUST REACH THEIR FINAL DESTINATION!_

"WE CAN'T OUTSMART A TRAIN! WE'LL BE GONERS!" James shouted out.

"I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Carlos cried out.

"ME NEITHER!" Logan cried out.

"IF WE CAN'T OUTSMART A TRAIN, THEN WHAT CAN WE DO?" Kendall barked.

"I DON'T KNOW! YOU FIGURE IT OUT!" James argued.

GWAAAh! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Kendall spotted a foggy horizon to his left. He suddenly had that feeling on where it was headed. He turned to his left, "COME ON!"

The guys followed.

"WHERE ARE WE GOING?" Carlos asked.

"DOWN A RAVINE!"

"WHAAAT?" the guys barked.

"OH, NOW YOU WANT US TO DIE?" James barked.

GWAAAh! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

The guys closed in on their destination. The fog cleared up before them and like Kendall predicted, it was heading straight for an edge.

"JUMP!"

MUUUAAAAAAAAH!

The guys leapt off the mountain and disappeared into the fog. The Manikins screamed their guts out, realizing where they were heading. "KKKYYAAAAAAAHHH!"

The Phantom Train flew off the mountain edge and was suspended midair before descending into the foggy altitude…

xXx

James slowly opened his eyes. He could feel a bright sunlight kissing his face, forcing him to squint. Headache was pounding, and so was this spinning sensation overwhelming his senses. He slowly moved his arms over his eyes to block the sun, but it wasn't enough for it to continue bathing its bright light on him.

He cautiously looked around. He was in a deserted plain. His body lay flat against the earth, the feel of hard hot and dry soil causing his back to arch uncomfortably. He groaned, slowly starting to his feet in pain. That fall really did a toll on him. Yet he survived.

He blinked a couple of times and only stopped on one knee to take a good look at his surroundings. There were lots of tall grasses, yellow to faint green hues, surrounding few columns of frail trees harboring poor-nourished leaves. Little farther down he noticed high and bumpy slopes, where he spotted wolves roaming around minding their own businesses, searching for foods. Closer, he noticed few dead tree branches, large enough to be carried by four people.

He straightened, still staring around the dry plains. "What in the…?" he gulped, "Where are we?"

He turned around and there he saw his buddies, lying on the hard dry soil, still unconscious. He quickly went up to them, "Hey guys! Wake up! Wake up!" he tapped on Carlos, then Logan, and finally Kendall, "You won't believe where we are?"

The guys blinked and squinted, waking up from their unconsciousness. They slowly sat up, also stiffed and in pain.

"What's going on?" Carlos groaned.

"We're in Minnesota again…?" Logan mumbled.

James shook his head, "No. But I wish we were."

The guys looked around, noticing the dry plains, the trees, and the tall grasses.

"We're in a desert?" Logan concluded.

"Oh no, we're lost!" Carlos panicked.

James shook his head, "We're not lost, we're…" he paused briefly, quickly glanced at his surroundings and hesitantly sighed in defeat, "…yeah, we're lost."

"Unless…" Kendall said, pointing a little farther behind him, "There's civilization."

All heads turned to Kendall's direction. There stood cylinder-shaped towers gathered around a large building, each structured in of some sort of art-deco ancient form, beyond a couple more dead trees and tall grasses.

The guys closely analyzed the buildings.

"Are you sure this is civilization?" Logan pointed out, "It could be an ancient abandoned city."

"Why would it be an ancient abandoned city?" James asked.

"Do you see anyone walking by?" Logan argued, "The only form of living beings we see are the wolves… and us, potential preys."

The group glanced back at the ignoring wolves.

Carlos noticed a broken wooden board near a field of grasses. A piece of parchment paper was also nailed to the board, displaying a map with some writings on it. He bended down, ripped the paper off the wooden board and deciphered the map and its writings.

"…I don't think this map would agree with you, Logan." He said, catching his comrades' attention. He waved the parchment paper to them, "Come take a look at this."

The guys gathered around Carlos and read the map.

"Looks like a welcome sign." Kendall concluded.

"Giza Plains. Beware of nearby wolves and monsters." Carlos read and the guys briefly stared back at the wolves, still minding their own businesses.

They glanced back at each other and gulped. They quickly shuffled farther away from the wolves and closer to the buildings.

Carlos went on, "This way to the City of Rabanastre, Kingdom of Dalmasca… Royal Capital…" he hesitated, "Ivalice?"

The guys stared back at each other again, and then turned their attention to the buildings before them. Despite its look, there _was_ civilization. It was a capital. A Royal Capital.

_(FFXII: The Theme of the Empire theme song)_

**Next time **

**It's the event you've been waiting for…**

**…on _Big Time Final Fantasy_**

**_Big Time Ivalice _**

**_Commence!_**

_-The guys arrive in Ivalice's Royal Capital, Dalmasca._

"Man! This place is fantastic!" Carlos said, staring marvelously at his newest environment.

"And so busy too!" Logan commented.

-_And just in time, for the biggest event in the land._

"Let us take part on this joyous festivity that is the 12th Annual Sky Tourneys of Ivalice." Artemis said to a large table full of royals and guests.

(The _Leviathan, _suspended in midair,is gathered with people from all over, watching like in a Colosseum)

"Whoever wins the grand tournament aboard the _Leviathan _will earn a well-deserve abundance of riches from ours truly."

"Sky Tourneys, huh?" replied James with a smile, "Sounds excited."

-_But like all good stories, every party comes with great danger…_

(Ominous sound follows before _FFXII Boss Battle Theme song_)

(The royal table is suddenly alarmed as they saw a soldier coming forward, bleeding on the stomach)

"Y-your Majesty…" he grunted.

He then collapsed to the ground.

"He's dead." Basch disclosed. Ashe, Larsa, Artemis, Carlos, James and the rest of the guests at the table stared in horror.

(A mustached peddler and a group of sky pirates looking threateningly)

"I believe you have what I'm looking for." The mustached peddler offered his hand to an unknown person (…A/N: imagine you don't see the person yet)

(Vaan bumps into Lighting, and quickly sees himself surrounded by Kain, Laguna and Tifa)

"Keep your stones." Lighting said to Vaan, "We just want you."

"Look. I don't know what the hell you guys are talking about." Vaan snapped.

(Two shadowy figures spying)

"You saw them, right?" a dark voice from the first dark figure spoke to a shadowy figure.

"Oh, I saw them, all right." The shadowy figure chuckled under his eerie breath, "I saw them goood."

(Kendall bumps into a bunch of menacing Bangaas)

(Logan watches a portal opening up before him)

"What is that?"

(Logan is then seen inside a homey cave that got thrashed all around, as if some bandits came in)

(Axel comes face-to-face with Matt inside the _Leviathan _tournament ring)

(Tina hugs Kendall. She's in tears)

(The heroes pull out their weapons, facing a threat before them)

(We now see Jett Stetson, smiling)

(Ashe stared at a letter in disbelief)

"It's a threatening letter." she discloses to the Royal table. "Someone's to get assassinated at the Tourneys Finale."

(Kendall, James, Carlos and Tina reunite inside a building. James and Carlos were disguised as priests)

"Someone got killed last night." James disclosed to Kendall and Tina.

"Take a look at this." Carlos handed Kendall and Tina a letter.

"Oh my god, this is serious." Kendall said.

"We gotta stop the criminals somehow." Tina said.

(The heroes cross path with Jett Stetson)

"Jett?" Kendall exclaimed.

"Call me Teej." He said haughtily.

(The heroes then meet an unknown figure)

"I'm not going down without a fight." The figure morphed into something monstrous… multiple seals appeared before him, summoning the XII Espers of Ivalice.

"But if I am to go down, I'm taking you down WITH ME!"

(Sequence of battles the heroes gets into, including the battle onboard the _Leviathan: _Matt charging toward Axel; then we see Tifa, Laguna, Kain, Lighting, Balthier, Fran, Luso, Teej… all in sequence, fighting their opponents who are not seen.)

"I was afraid that this was going to happen…" Tina cried out to the guys in tears, "I cannot let that happen."

(The guys watched the l'Cie marks on their shoulders shining brightly. They suddenly channel the energies from the marks and together combined the energy together. Then the energy is seen overwhelming the _Leviathan. _The crowd stood on their feet, screaming in wild cheers and applause)

_(Ominous ending tone)_

_Your time of destiny commences here…_

**~Big Time Ivalice~**

**(Part 1)**


	9. Ep7: Big Time Ivalice pt1

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Ep.7: __Big Time Ivalice (part 1)__**-**_

* * *

**xXx**

"Penelo?" Vaan called out his best friend from inside the Cache of Glabados but he couldn't hear her nor find her.

"Where ARE you?" he yelled out again, his voice echoed through the grotto, "You better not sneak up on me, girlfriend!"

He turned down one corner, and saw a golden monkey statue sitting on a pedestal, holding a red ruby stone at plain sight.

"Whoaaa..." his eyes rolled back like a slot machine, seeing Gil signs all over. He rushed to the monkey and grabbed the stone.

"It's beautiful..." he drooled. He turned around and saw Penelo standing there. "Whoa!" He jumped.

"Who're you calling girlfriend?" Penelo said angrily, "I'm your sister!"

"Not exactly, _girlfriend_." he replied, "We're _like_ sisters." He then paused uncomfortably, "Well, not exactly sisters, since I'm a guy…"

"Would you just—!" Penelo stopped, composing herself to a smile and said calmly, "Enough with the dawdling. We're gonna be late for supper."

"Supper?" Vaan sounded whiny, "But we haven't reached our second treasure yet!"

"That stone is perfect. Now let's go!" Penelo ordered, and she and Vaan took off from the Cache of Glabados. But just as they got outside, they saw a bunch of skypirates—about six of them—laughing maniacally and cornering them at swordpoint. The leader was a Seeq with a mustache.

"I believe you have what I'm looking for." the mustached peddler offered his hand.

Vaan and Penelo looked at each other from eye corner. Vaan then smiled; "Actually..." he then faced the mustached pirate again, "You don't."

Vaan kicked the sword away from a skypirate, before landing another kick on his chest, knocking him back. He then unsheathed his sword, ready for combat. The other skypirates retaliated and swung their blades at Vaan, clashing swords with him.

"GET HIM! WHAT'CHU ALL WAITIN' FOR? GET HIM!" the mustached skypirate growled at his comrades who put out their best effort in trying to run Vaan down with their blades, but Vaan kept on dodging, blocking, countering, and veering enough for the skypirates to kill each other off instead.

He jumped behind the mustached skypirate, grabbed him on chokehold and was about to run his sword down his back when something cold and metallic touched his neck, forcing him to stop.

"You kill him, you die." another skypirate—a chubby tan-skinned Hume—threatened with his Vega Gun.

Penelo gasped, trapped at that sudden turn of event. But Vaan appeared calm.

"Ohh-kay." he said, before landing a kick in the skypirate's crotch. The skypirate fired his Vega Gun on cue and Penelo screamed. The bullet shattered the stone into pieces and left out a burst of flame in the air before it vanished into smokes.

"My masterpiece!" the mustached skypirate cried out.

"RUN!" Vaan grabbed Penelo's arm and dragged her out of harm's way. The two boarded their airship and took off before the skypirates had the chance to reach them.

"Sorry, Donga!" Vaan provocatively waved the Seeq goodbye, "Love to sit and chat, but don't wanna be late for supper!"

"Get them!" The mustached skypirate Donga was screaming from a distance, "Get those destroyers of antics! I SAID GET THEM!" The airship took off into the skies and was already distant from the Cache of Glabados.

**xXx**

The Royal City of Rabanastre, grand capital city of Dalmasca, which was one of the many kingdoms of Ivalice, was a splendid site to chill in and to hang out. This was the place where the Four Warriors of Light–Big Time Rush—found themselves in, following their recent endurances through the Labyrinth of Time and the Phantom Train.

They were crossing its busy streets where they saw lots of new faces: different faces in fact, compared to the ones they saw earlier. Women with rabbit ears and genetic stilettos on their feet (Vieras)… Pork-faced large lads with either friendly or rude personalities (Seeq)… short stuffed individuals who looked like elephants, but without the long snout (Nu Mou)… and Moogles, fluffy floating creatures with pompom as their antennas amongst the populace.

They noticed multiple story buildings covering the cityscape. They even saw flying cabs, airships zooming by, and little children riding on their skybandits—engine-powered skateboards that can hover in the air and could go at faster distance than regular skateboards; which got even Carlos impressed and wanting to try one out himself.

This specific city in Ivalice was pretty much kinda like a mix of New York City and London. And the gang has been in both cities in the past. But the city's technology was very much different from typical 21st Century cityspace and European lands. And its culture was kinda between ancient-like and medieval with a dash of futuristic feel.

"Can't believe we're _actually_ in a city." Kendall exclaimed.

"Makes us wonder what else the Final Fantasy has up its sleeves." James noted.

"Man! This place is fantastic!" Carlos said, staring marvelously at his newest environment.

"And so busy too!" Logan commented, noticing the square they were in was filling with people by the minute. "Looks like they're getting ready for something."

They stopped to watch the populace going about their festivities.

"Wonder what the occasion is." Kendall thought.

"Greetings!"

"Whoaa!" The guys jumped, startled by a jolly-looking blue Seeq with a cowboy hat and a bandana standing right in front of them.

"Bonga Bugle Head Editor here, reporting live on this marvelous splendid Saturday of the 15th Skyfrost, which celebrates our month-long festive Ivalice Sky Tourneys season! This is the best news ever! As Dalmasca is receiving a regal visit from both Emperor Larsa of Archadia and Emperor Artemis of the Garlean Empire and their Royal Legislates, to partake of our 12th Annual Sky Tourneys!"

"Sky Tourneys, huh?" replied James with a smile, "Sounds excited."

"It sure is!" the head editor responded, "And there's sure to be a grand prize for the winner at the Grand Finale of the Tourneys. You gotta check out this month's article for more details! And to do that, just subscribe. Here are the pamphlets," he gave them each a pamphlet, "with all the snippets on the latest Bonga Bugle reports, and a subscription card. So you BETTER subscribe! 'Kay? Thank you!"

The editor scampered off. The guys checked out the pamphlets, reading a little preview about the Sky Tourneys. The opening ceremony was to take place in the Royal Palace tonight, with a parade down to its courtyard followed by an Official Dinner from hers truly, the Queen Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca. Invitation required. The remainder of the tourneys was to take place on board the cruiser airship the _Leviathan_, now under the property of Dalmasca, and hovering right above the Royal City.

"We should totally participate!" Carlos pointed out, "Who knows. Maybe we'll have a better chance to be celebrities here again. And we could meet Tina and the girls again!"

"You know, you could be right!" Kendall said before shaking his head, "But I'm not really into tourneys."

"Dude!" James exclaimed, "It's a Sky Tourneys! It's like Hockey, except with our fists!" He formed a fist on cue.

"Wow. Glad to see your fighting spirit lighting up again." Kendall said derisorily, "Just make sure you don't hit me again."

"Well, I'm not into that either." Logan added, "I'm more interested in…" something caught Logan's attention in the pamphlet, "…no way!"

"What?" the guys said.

"Daswai!"

"You mean that made-up scholar that Emperor cooked up when he was trying to get us?" Carlos asked.

"No duh!" Logan replied, "His name is right there… AND his picture too! See?" Logan showed the guys the picture of a Nu Mou scholar, and the name '_Dais'Wai' _was written under the photo. He then read the paragraph, "Nu Mou Scholar Daiswai once again attempting to understand the rifts of time and the…"

"…endless cycle of battle?" the guys read the last sentence together, and they suddenly felt stunned and a bit scared.

"Every day," Logan kept reading, "we question ourselves: could we be chosen by the gods at any second? Our lives could change forever… up until the end of time. Read more on his interview in this month's issue."

He closed the pamphlet, "You don't think we were send here to Ivalice for a reason, do you?" Logan asked.

"I know we were send here in the _Final Fantasy_ for a reason." Kendall shook his head, "And we just don't like that reason."

"…but maybe this could mean something more!" Logan folded the pamphlet and stuffed it into his back pocket, "Okay. My mind's made up. I'm meeting this scholar. I got a bunch of questions to ask him."

"Whoa, by yourself?" Carlos asked.

"But what about the tourneys?" James asked.

"But we need to find Tina first!" Kendall pointed out.

"And the girls!" Carlos finished.

There was a brief pause. Logan briefly studied their surroundings and read a nearby direction sign. Right now they were at the Southern Plaza.

"How about we split?" He proposed, "Once we're done with our little mission, we can meet back here at this very spot. And don't worry about me guys, I'll be fine. Got it?"

"Got it." The guys said together and they took off, once again going about their separate ways.

**xXx**

Vaan was entering the North End part of Rabanastre, flipping in the air a large shiny stone emitting an enchanted-like fire.

"Everburn. The rarest Firewind Crystal one can find." He grinned, gently caressing the stone.

He then saw Donga and his skypirates again. But Donga didn't see him. He and his crew were still looking and pacing around trying to find him. Vaan quickly seized that chance to slip into hiding behind a wall and quietly watched.

"We can't find him anywhere!" a chubby skypirate declared.

"Well then KEEP SEARCHING!" the mustached Seeq cried out, "We didn't track down his footprints all this way down here for NOTHIN'! Split up! ONDALAY!"

The pirates split up. Vaan curiously looked under his shoes. They were filled with soggy muds. "Darn it. I shoulda never cross the dang Giza Plains after the rain." he muttered, before removing his shoes and scrapping the mud off the heels.

He finally got out of his hiding place and something else caught his attention. He saw Kain, staring by the bridge overlooking the city and watching the people minding their own business. He turned his head around so that his one eye corner could catch a glimpse of Vaan. Vaan suddenly felt a sudden urge to flee at his sight. He turned around and started walking fast when he bumped into Lightning. Lightning's green eyes stared back into Vaan's in severity. The two stood there for almost ten seconds and Vaan slowly took a step back. He slowly went around Lightning and started walking away, his gaze still upon her, "Excuse me. Sorry. Gotta go." He finally took off running as his feet could, and Lightning watched him leave.

Kain rejoined Lightning, and also coming in were Tifa and Laguna.

"So he was one of us too huh?" Laguna inquired.

"Alive and kicking." Kain replied.

"Let's go." Lightning said.

**xXx**

Migelo's Sundries was a very busy store in Rabanastre. But on that particular time of year it was filled with people.

"Thank you for shopping with us. Please come again." Penelo said to her customers before seeing them take off. At that moment she saw Vaan bursting through the front door. Vaan froze at her sight. Penelo narrowed her eyes. Vaan quickly turned to his right and slipped past a crowd of customers toward the back of the counter and into another room. It took Vaan at least ten seconds before he busted out of the room and joined Penelo with a liquid bottle in his hand as if nothing happened.

"Phew." he was short of breath, "Got the Potion right there."

Penelo examined the bottle."That's an Eye Drop."

Vaan snatched the Eye Drop from Penelo's hand, drank a gulp of it, and wheezily said, "So?"

He winced in disgust to the medicine aftertaste and spat the liquid on the floor. Penelo frowned in disgust.

"Vaan, where have you been?" Penelo asked.

"Duh! I was looking for the potions!" he said, grabbing a mop to wipe off his spill.

"It took you an hour and a half to search for a carton of potions? And all you came out with was an Eye Drop?"

"It has a bitter aftertaste, okay?" he argued, "And let's face it, I'm not a great seeker of things."

On cue, the Everstone that Vaan had earlier fell on the ground in a klink. Penelo saw the stone, picked it up, and stared down at Vaan as if peering into his soul.

"Okay, fine! I went skypirating, all right? So get off my back!" Vaan barked.

Penelo examined the stone, "So, you got another one of these? What is that, anyway?"

"Everburn." Vaan said with a smile, "Powerful Firewind Crystal bursting with magical energy. But don't hold it much longer, cuz it's-!"

"HAWT! HOT! HOT! HOT!" Penelo suddenly juggled the magicite and let go of it. It fell again but this time it shattered into pieces and burst of flames shot out again from the broken shards.

"...hot." Vaan finished.

Kytes and Filo entered the Sundries, looking all excited.

"Hey guys! Are you all going to the Sky Tourneys Official Dinner this evening?" Kytes asked.

"You'll need to get an invitation of course." Filo waved to them her invitation. It was a golden ticket with the Seal of Dalmasca on it and Ashe's signature.

Penelo looked confused, "Wait, we don't need an invitation to—" she then gasped in realization, "Oh, you mean the dinner!"

Kytes and Filo nodded.

"I thought you meant the _actual_ tourneys."

"Nah." Kytes shook his head, "The tourneys are free."

"IF you register early of course." Filo added, "And registration's full."

"Glad I registered." Vaan replied, "But as for the Official Dinner, I am SO going."

Kytes, Filo and Penelo stared at Vaan surprisingly.

"But Vaan… you don't have a ticket." Kytes said to him.

"No." Vaan pulled out another Everburn from his pocket. "I got MY invite right here."

"Another Everburn?" Penelo said to him, her attention on the new stone he carried, "To bribe the Queen?"

"Pssh… YEAAAH!" Vaan said gleefully.

"Vaan, how many of these did you get?"

Vaan's attention shifted to the front door just as he saw Lightning, Kain, Tifa, and Laguna entering the Sundries. The four warriors also spotted Vaan.

"Hello… Earth to Vaan?" Filo called out to him.

"Huh?…oh!" Vaan quickly shifted his focus back to Penelo and friends, and replied, "Enough to make a fortune. And yes. It's bribery. And Queen Ashe and I are tight. Remember?" He stared back again at the four warriors of Cosmos who glared back at him.

"Well… yeah, but…" Penelo tried to speak but Vaan quickly interrupted with a quick, "Be right back." and slipped back into the backroom. Penelo and friends looked at each other, bewildered.

Vaan finally in the backroom took slow steps back and still had his eyes focused on the front doors. He didn't see the four warriors anymore.

He turned on his heels to run when he felt a hard armor in front of him. It was Kain!

He gasped shallowly and turned again back outside, but Kain grabbed him by his vest moments before he could escape, "Not so fast, boy."

"Damn it. Let me go!" Vaan shouted, struggling from Kain's grasp.

"Glad you're still can put up a fight." Lightning spoke. Kain released Vaan from his grasp. Vaan saw her blocking his entry. He then watched Laguna and Tifa entering as well. Now Vaan felt completely surrounded, with no way out and at their complete mercy.

"What do you want from me, man?" Vaan snapped at his enemies; though he was completely clueless that they were actually his old allies. "Look, if you want the Everburn, I can give them back to you!"

"Keep your stones." Lightning said, "We just want you."

"Me?" Vaan exclaimed, "What for? You want to kill me or something?"

Laguna and Tifa stifled. Kain shook his head, almost disappointedly, "You sure are still clueless, are you boy?"

"Clueless?"

"Oh, cut the crap." Laguna said. All eyes turned to him. Laguna choked back his words, "S-sorry. But you know what I mean. You know me, I know you. We all fought together against Chaos…"

Vaan cocked his head on one side, "Huh?"

"We were all part of the 12th cycle of war." Tifa added, "You, me," she then introduced, "Laguna, Kain, Lightning," she then added, "…and Yuna, who we still are trying to find."

"Look. I don't know what the hell you guys are talking about." Vaan said, "All I know is that I have a Sky Tourneys to enter and win. I heard they're giving a great prize to the winner, and I intend to win it. Now, if you'll excuse me," Vaan proceeded to head back to the store, "you should just leave the same way you came in."

And with that, Vaan was gone.

"…the Sky Tourneys huh?" Lightning rubbed her chin.

"I know what you're thinking Lightning." Kain said to her, "You're easy to read like a book."

"Sweet!" Laguna cheered, "We should partake on that Sky Tourneys!"

"I agree." Tifa pounded her fists together, "I can't wait till I pummel some faces!"

"Make sure you keep the pounding to yourself till you face that boy again." Lightning advised, "He needs a good dose of it just to get his senses back."

**xXx**

James and Carlos left a pub with sadness on their faces.

"The Sky Tourneys registration is full?" James sighed, "How can it be full? I thought we came early."

"Apparently not early enough." Carlos added.

"Well, there's gotta be a way we can get into the Tourneys." James said, "If it was back in Hollywood, we would have so used our star power as Big Time Rush to get easy access, easy."

Carlos briefly looked around, chuckled and said to James, "Y'know, if Logan was here, he would have told you that you said easy twice."

"You bet I did."

Carlos then noticed James stepping on a piece of parchment paper, unaware of its value. It had a Seal on it, probably the seal of the royal country they were in, and a signature, forged perhaps by someone of importance.

"James, look at this!" Carlos pointed James the ticket. James moved out of the way and Carlos picked it up.

"What is that?" James asked curiously. Carlos brushed off the dusts from the paper, restoring its glowing form. The friends examined the item.

"It's a ticket."

"A concert ticket?"

Carlos shook his head, "I wish… it's an invitation." His eyes widened, "A _royal_ invitation..." Both friends briefly exchanged glances, "...to the Official Dinner."

"Wait, from the Royal Court?" James took the ticket and examined it closer, "It is from the Royal Court!"

"You guys also got a golden ticket from Queen Ashe?" a young voice startled the two guys. It was Kytes, along with Filo. Of course they didn't know James and Carlos. They were passing by when they heard the two friends.

"Uh…" the guys hesitated, "…yeah…"

"This is so cool!" Filo said excitedly, "Now you get to be in the Sky Tourneys like all of us!"

"Come again?" Carlos said.

"Anyone who gets a special invite to the Official Dinner this evening at the Royal Palace of Rabanastre gets to be in the Sky Tourneys like all those who registered." Kytes said, "IF they want to of course."

"I hope we get to battle in the ring sometimes!" Filo brought a fully-determined smile and formed fists. "Can't wait!"

And the two kids scurried off, leaving Carlos and James full of smiles as well, like they just hit the motherload.

"No way…" James breathed.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Carlos pulled out a scheming grin at his friend. James knew that grin and he grinned similarly.

"Ohhh yes buddy. It's time to crash a party!"

They took off in haste down the street before them. It was right when they left the North End that Logan entered it from the East End. He let out a sigh.

"I hope I can find my way." He then glanced back at the pamphlet, examining Daiswai's picture, "I hope you're as real as you are in the picture, Sir Daiswai."

He turned around and felt someone ramming up on him. He tumbled backward and to his back, the pamphlet flew from his hand and his Crystal necklace escaped his neck. "Aaggh…" He looked up, grunting in pain to see another young man on the ground as well. He was blonde and shirtless, wearing only steel trousers and boots. It was Vaan. And of course, Logan didn't know him.

"Oh geez… excuse me. I'm sorry." Vaan quickly got up, brushed himself and went to him, "Totally my fault. You're okay?" he offered his hand.

"Y-yeah…" Logan reached out, and Vaan pulled him up. As Logan was busy brushing the dusts off him, Vaan sneakily slipped behind his back his right hand, clutching tightly on Logan's Wind Crystal. He slipped it hidden into the red fabric of his trousers.

"I'm fine…" Logan said to Vaan.

"Good. Name's Vaan. Nice to meet you. Sorry don't have time. Gotta go." Vaan took off past Logan, "Enjoy the sunshine!"

"Yeah w… h-hey!" Logan shouted out, but Vaan was long gone.

"I didn't get to…!" he paused, staring hopelessly at Vaan, disappearing into the crowd, "…I didn't get to get directions."

Logan hesitantly took off, unaware that by a corner of the town, dark figures were watching. The two were hiding behind an alley.

"You saw them, right?" a dark voice from one dark figure spoke to another dark figure watching.

"Oh, I saw them, all right." The other dark figure chuckled under his eerie breath, "I saw them goood."

"Great... just what I want to hear." A third dark figure muttered.

The three figures finally emerged out of the alley and into the busy streets. Balthier, Fran, and someone who looks a lot like someone—especially Kendall—would know and hate: Jett Stetson!

…but of course, this was the Final Fantasy, so it wasn't really him.

Two skypirates—a Moogle gunner and a Bangaa cannoneer—approached the trio.

"Kupo, we've seen them, sir." The Moogle informed.

"Didn't we already say that, gentlemen?" the Jett-look alike complained to Balthier and Fran.

"You guys are hopeless." Balthier said to the sky pirates, "Now off you go."

The two skypirates left.

"So what do we do now?" Fran asked, "We follow them to the Official Dinner and watch their every move is that it?"

"That's the plan." The Jett look-alike sky pirate said, "These guys are after all valuable. Which is why, I, Sir Teej of Jylland, the leading man, will see to it that our mission goes fruitful."

Balthier glowered jealously at the sky pirate, Teej, "Did you just say the leading man?"

"You bet I did."

xXx

Kendall entered the Muthru Bazaar section of the Royal City. It was twice as busy as the main streets he recently was in. Muthru Bazaar was like LA Saturday Market… except without the high skyscrapers and technology of Los Angeles. There were lots of tents carrying fresh produces and the air had the aroma scent of grilled spicy fishes, beefs and corn. Kendall felt like he was once again in Europe, at a European marketplace.

He was so busy sightseeing that he failed to look where he was going.

_Bump_!

"Hey watch it!"

Kendall turned to face a dark-green Bangaa he just bumped into, along with his comrades Bangaas, "Oh, dude! I'm sorr—WHOA!" he couldn't stop staring.

"Whoa what, puny? What's your problem?" the Bangaa hissed.

Kendall pointed, "Aren't… you…"

"Ohh!" the Bangaa hissed again, "Damn right we are! We're BTR! Name's Ba'Gamnan! Yaah! Remember it boy!"

Kendall frowned. How could he not remember that name? It was obviously the same name of his band with his pals! Not the name of a group of lizards!

"And I'm Gijuk!" a green Bangaa hissed.

"Bwagi!" a violet Bangaa hissed.

"Rinok!" the last Bangaa who was also violet with white hair sounded female. She snapped her finger and moved them in sync, sassy-like, "And nobody means business like…!"

"BTR!" the four Bangaas hissed together, rolling the R-accent in a crescendo.

Kendall frowned, eyes wide open.

"…YOU GUYS ARE LIZARD!" He barked.

The lizard-faced group gasped. Now Kendall moved his finger, sassy-style, "…and NOBODY can sass or sing better than the _real _BTR."

"GAAAASSSP!" the whole bazaar gasped. The insulted Bangaas glared at Kendall, jaws hanged open.

"No! You _didn't_!" Rinok gasped.

Kendall stood still, noticing the Bangaas' faces turning fury red. He started backing away as the menacing Bangaas angrily approached Kendall who alertly started walking back, "Oh yeah he did!" Ba'Gamnan growled, "You did NOT just called me—a Bangaa—a lizard, you chauvinistic RUNT!"

"Whoa-whoa-whoa!" Kendall exclaimed, "Before we get—!" The event was starting to drag attention. Soon Kendall felt all eyes on him and the menacing Bangaas, all expecting a fight to happen, "Dude, wait! I… I'm sorry!" he panicked, "I… I didn't mean to upset—! It's just that… you're kinda using a name that I know and came up with—!"

"Ooooh!" the crowd exclaimed provocatively.

"What? It's true!" Kendall protested.

"Oh so NOW you're taking credit of the name Ba'Gamnan T'Roubles? The BTR?" Bwagi yelped.

"Wait… Ba'Gamnan T'Roubles?" Kendall repeated, "That's the name of you people?"

GAAAAAASSSSP! The whole bazaar suddenly turned silent to Kendall's remark. Kendall looked around. All eyes were staring worryingly at him, like an innocent guy about to get hanged.

"You… people?" Gijuk screamed, evil began to sear his eyes. "YOU PEOPLE?"

Bwagi and Rinok had their jaws dropped, exchanging shocked mutters. Ba'Gamnan himself was as silent as a stone.

"I said something wrong again, didn't I?" Kendall nervously grinned.

Ba'Gamnan dropped his bag that he was carrying and pulled up his sleeves, "You bet you did…" he sneered, "…it's on, pal! It's ON!" He grabbed Kendall by the colon and lifted him off the ground. "Whoa hey! Take it easy!" Kendall yelled.

The Bangaa formed a fist and was ready to pound him "I am gonna connect my FIST down your throat!"

"HEY!" A Moogle's voice caught the Bangaa's ears. He looked over his shoulder to see a Moogle wearing a green jacket and brown baggy trousers. His hair was blond and his pompom had the same color. Kendall noticed the Moogle and was stunned by its tiny appearance.

"Drop him, Kupo." the Moogle ordered, "This guy is obviously new here in town, so cut him some slack and stop picking on people that aren't your size." The Moogle kept talking at Kendall's attacker, "Or else."

"Or else what?" the Bangaa sneered menacingly, before closing his face onto Kendall and provoked him with a baby-like voice, "You gonna cry home to your momma?" His siblings laughed on cue, and the whole bazaar started booing at the group, tossing tomatoes and other junks at them. "Wh…HEEY!"

"How about I tell the Sandsea owner on how you cheated him at Tetra Master last night to get a free drink." He said to the Bangaa with a smile.

The Bangaa's eyes stretched out wide open at this revelation. He reluctantly dropped Kendall down, briefly faced Montblanc, and then faced Kendall again, "You're lucky that pompom's here."

Ba'Gamnan and his siblings left the scene and everyone who was watching briefly jeered and booed at their exit before going back to their usual stuffs.

The Moogle approached Kendall. "Kupo, you're okay?"

"Phew…" Kendall sighed, "Yeah… I'm-I'm fine." He smiled, "Thanks for your help."

"Sure. Anytime." The Moogle said, "Name's Montblanc."

"Kendall. Nice to meet you."

"Word of advice: don't call a Bangaa a lizard again, alright? It's discrimination. And you don't wanna get your butt kicked for that."

"I'll remember that." Kendall smiled, "But uh… quick question. Why are they called BTR?"

"Oh that's the name of their clan: Ba'Gamnan T'Roubles." Montblanc explained, "Led by that ruthless sky pirate bounty hunter Ba'Gamnan and his siblings' posse. To think that by seeing them join a clan, they'd put aside their criminal ways, but boy were we wrong." He shook his head, "Plus, it should be called B_G_TR. Not… BTR."

"I know, right? It's because it's the name of a band?"

Montblanc shook his head, "Nah. It's the whole apostrophe on the names."

"Kendall!"

Kendall heard a very familiar voice. He turned around and saw Tina and Chocolate nearby. A smile beamed on his face.

"Looks like you got company." Montblanc noticed Tina and Chocolate approaching in haste. He sauntered off, "I'll leave you two alone for now. But don't forget to visit my clan hall once a while."

"Tina! Chocolate!" Kendall cheered and the two hugged. Tina hugged tightly on Kendall, almost as if not letting go.

"Ohmygosh. I'm so happy to see you here again! Where are the others? James? Carlos? Logan?" Tina then called on Chocolate, "Chocolate! Group hug! GROUP HUG!"

"KWEEEH!" Chocolate joined in the hug.

"Ow, Ow, Ow! You're hurting me!" Kendall groaned. Tina and Chocolate both pulled back, "Sorry." Tina said apologetically.

"I thought I had lost you all!" Tina lamented, "You wouldn't believe how freaked out I was!" Tina then began examining Kendall's skin from head to toe, frantically searching for the Mark of the l'Cie on him. She pulled out the sleeves to examine the arms; then the long pants, then peeked behind the hair, the forehead…

"Well you don't have to worry anymore, we're okay!" Kendall replied, "We all ended up in a Phantom Train! We escaped! We ended up here! Now James and Carlos are out on their own trying to take part on this Sky Tourneys and Logan is out searching for Daiswai and here I was, searching for you and the others… and why are you giving me a body inspection?"

Tina jumped back off Kendall, gasping, "Oh!" she hesitated, "S…so sorry… that's… my bad." She then let out a huge sigh of relief, knowing she hadn't found any Mark of the l'Cie anywhere from his body. That Prophecy was not coming true. "At least you all in good shape." She quickly changed subjects, "Been working out?" she patted him on the biceps.

Kendall blinked at her puzzlingly.

"Is something wrong, Tina?"

Tina didn't respond. Heck, she didn't feel like she had anything else to say anymore. The guys left the Phantom Train, safe and sound, and best news yet, no Mark of the l'Cie. The parade noise caught their attention down below them. Tina stepped toward the bazaar fence to spot the parade crossing the Rabanastre Main Street and watched nearby attendees cheering. Kendall followed.

"Oh my gosh, Kendall. This is the splendid Royal City of Rabanastre, capital of the Kingdom of Dalmasca in the Mideastland of Ivalice, right?"

Kendall paused for a second, "Okay… you know _way _too much."

"We should find the others!" Tina exclaimed excitedly. Chocolate quickly replied, "THE OKWERS!" she then added, "They could be at the parade too! We should search for them together!" She then faced her Chocobo, "What do you say to that, Chocolate?"

WAAARK! Chocolate waved its feathered hands in the air in cheers.

"Beautiful!" Tina exclaimed, pumping her fists in the air.

Kendall simply grinned, "Err… Tina?"

"Come on. The others are at the Sandsea with Tomaj." She instructed, "We should meet with them and then we start searching for the others." She then pulled Kendall again and they ran together. "Come on!"

xXx

Logan reached the Southgate of the Royal City, still wandering about the place. He stopped.

"Why do I feel like I'm missing something?"

He reached a hand near where his Crystal Necklace used to be, still unaware that it has gone missing. He quickly moved his hand away to snap a finger, "Yes! I got it! I knew I was missing something! I'm supposed to be asking _directions_!"

He spotted a judge. See, Judges here are officers of law and authoritative figures in Ivalice. A judge could very well be compared to a police officer or higher than that. They are usually clad in dark silver armor and sported fancy horned helm that shielded their faces from the public. They also bore large capes with their countries' insignia on it. Most judges used to reside in Archadia, an empire once enemy of Dalmasca. But that all changed years after their warring conflict.

"Excuse me, sir?" Logan approached the judge. The judge, mounted on his iron-clad Chocobo turned to face Logan.

"I'm looking for this guy." Logan pointed Daiswai's picture on the pamphlet. "Have you—!"

"Ah, yes." The judge spoke, his voice sounding ancient English and muffling through the helmet, "The famed Nu Mou scholar from Bhujerba. You usually would find him there."

"Bhujerba?" Logan repeated, "Where is that at?"

"It is East from Dalmasca." The Judge replied, "You'd need to travel on the Sky Ferry to reach it as it is suspended in the sky. A skycity. Could take you about five hours just to get there."

"Bhujerba? A Skycity? Five hours?"

"Although." The judge rubbed his clad-armored chin, "I did hear from the populace that he was to visit the Royal City for the Sky Tourneys, like the Archadian and the Garlean Emperors. But rumor has it that he's now residing in a secluded cave below the Garasmythe waterway to continue on his debatable research."

"Please, tell me where can I find it?"

"The waterway?" the judge mumbled, "It's right below Lowtown. You sure you want to take this risk young man? The waterway is forbidden to most citizens."

"I'll take on any challenge." Logan said, "I just need to find that guy is all. He and I have business to deal with."

The judge was briefly silent. He descended off the Chocobo, "Very well. I shall open the gate to Lowtown for you. Oh. And be careful not to talk to anyone while you're there."

"Got it."

The judge approached the gate to Lowtown and shifted it open before Logan. Logan could see the stairways leading down a dark corridor. He gulped, "…what is that?"

Curiously, yet nervously, he stepped down into the stairways. The judge closed the gate behind him. Logan looked back at the crashing sound of the closed gate, paused briefly, then turned around and was once again on his way.

He reached Lowtown. Although the history of how Lowtown came to be had something to do with the Archadian Empire conflict with Dalmasca in the past, it was still a prosperous street than upper town was. It was filled with citizens just as much. Logan was expecting all wary eyes on him the moment he reached the Lowtown. He saw none of that. In fact, people were minding their own business. And some who spotted him were rather quite welcoming to the stranger. Heck, they even helped him to the way to the waterway to find Daiswai, and all wished him good luck on his search.

Logan was finally in the waterway, all alone. Walls surrounded every corner of the waterway. Though it was a dark cave with no light from the outside, there were light inside, powered by electricity from the city and hanging inches from each other on every wall, pillar, and even on the ground, spread out to give even the unwelcome visitors a way to explore. Waters were gushing out everywhere, flooding large gaps, creating waterfalls between thin walls. The waterway wasn't that bad, though it was kinda chilly like a fall breeze.

"Well." Logan sighed, "I guess this is it. Time to find Daiswai."

He proceeded. But farther off behind him, a shadowy figure was looming.

xXx

**The Royal Palace Rabanastre**

The night of the Official Dinner was on, and the Royal Palace Rabanastre was alive and humming with party fillers. The castle Outer Gardens leading to the interior of the Palace was full of people from all over; royal and citizens alike, all came by invitation just to enjoy the authentic foods and drinks, imported and local by various markets, and to meet the Royal Ruler of Dalmasca, the Queen Ashe. Additionally most of the invitees were immediately eligible to take part of the Sky Tourneys, kicking off the following day… that is if they want to of course. If they did not, they would let the Royal Officials know of their decision not to partake on the tourneys.

A trail of judges, followed by a series of carriages carrying various countries flags stopped in front of the Outer Gardens and out came out their respective royal figures: there were Kings and Queens from the westernmost part of Ivalice like Ordalia and Rozarria, Dukes and Duchesses from various houses like Lesalia, Gallione and Limberry. Even the Order of the Northern Sky and the Southern Sky, legendary order of knights from the age-old Ivalice kingdom were invited. Most of these royal figures chose not to partake on the tourneys, but to at least watch the event. But warriors and mercenaries invited took no such decision.

Two of the carriages made their entrance. One bore the flag of Archadia, Dalmasca's former enemy, and one bore the flag of the Garlean Empire, a foreign empire outside Ivalice. Out of the Archadian carriage came out the youthful emperor Larsa. Now a teenager, he still appeared small in size but still was well-respected for his country's love. But out of the Garlean carriage came out its Emperor. The mysterious Emperor Artemis. He bore long and wavy red hair, had piercing crimson eyes, was scruffy-looking, and sported a red tunic that reached down his ankles, a golden sashes attached to the shoulders, slim pants and boots to match, and an open collar cloak over the tunic with gold streak on the colon edges.

Larsa and Artemis exchanged smiles and nodded at each other as the Royal Palace Rabanastre's majordomo, a Moogle named Hurdy, welcomed them into the palace.

"Kupo! Your Eminence!" Hurdy greeted, "It is such a great grand pleasure to finally welcome you to our Royal Official Dinner, and look, you're just in time for the festivities to commence." He then faced Larsa, "Emperor Larsa, welcome back again. Great to see you as always, Kupo." He then faced Artemis, "And Emperor Artemis. Coming from so far away, the Garlean Empire. Let me just say this as a proper greeting." He then bowed, "Welcome to Ivalice, Kupo."

"Thank you. Thank you." Artemis said. "Great to be here."

"We appreciate the proper welcome Hurdy." Larsa said to the Moogle, "Always warms the heart."

"Happy to do so. Please, right this way."

And the royals entered the castle.

The Royal Palace Upper Halls was structured of exquisite European walls, altars and ceilings. The floors were made of fine upholstered carpet, there were golden statues, unopened treasure chests lying around and ancient roman furniture were there as well. Plus it was filled with people, the number greater inside than in the Royal Gardens. Ivalice music filled the air with its soothing orchestrated tunes, mixing with the cheerful noises of the people talking amongst themselves.

Carlos and James were also in the upper halls. They didn't try to sneak into the Palace or anything since they had their golden ticket with them. So entering was a breeze.

"Okay. So we broke into the Palace… well, technically we didn't break in. But now what are we supposed to do?" James wondered.

"James." Carlos's worried voice caught his attention. Carlos had on hand a Bonga Bugle issue, "Read this article on the Bonga Bugle Mistleaf Edition." He pointed him the article, " 'Clan BTR Results: 'Wimpy to the Extreme'."

"What?" James snatched the article from Carlos and read, "They were wimpy with weapons?" he blinked, "Wimpy with magicks too?"

He turned to another page, "They were wimpy, just wimpy? W-I-M-P—!"

He tore off the page and ripped it to shred, "They're just wrong! We are NOT wimpy!"

Kytes and Filo found the two guys. "Hey guys!" Kytes greeted, "Glad you finally made it."

Filo noticed the Bonga Bugle Mistleaf Edition and suddenly burst out laughing, "Oh! You guys were reading about the whole… BTR are wimpy thing? Ah! That's hilarious!"

James and Carlos glowered at Filo. "And what's it to you?" Carlos bitterly asked.

Filo shook her head, "No. It's just that BTR. The Ba'Gamman T'Roubles. Y'know them right?"

The guys glanced at each other than back at Filo, "Ba'Gamman T'Roubles?" they repeated.

"That's the name Ba'Gamman and his Bangaa posse came up with just to get some clan credits these days. BTR. Short for Ba'Gamman T'Roubles." Kytes explained then Filo added, "I mean it should have been B_G_TR, but why drop the G to make it BTR? Anyway, they may know how to pick fights with innocent bystanders and other clans but boy do they SUCK at fighting!"

"Big Time." Kytes said.

"Ohhh." James and Carlos laughed, relieved. At least the article didn't say anything about the other BTR, _Big Time Rush._

"Gentlemen." A voice caught the group. It was Balthier and Fran, spiffy looking in formalwear.

"Balthier and Fran!" Kytes cheered.

"Great to see you again, kids." Balthier said to Kytes and Filo before facing James and Carlos, "Why I believe we haven't met. I'm Balthier. I'm the leading man."

"Name's Fran." Fran introduced.

James and Carlos greeted the new group. But their eyes were fixated on Fran. They couldn't keep their eyes off her as they've never seen a Viera before.

"I see you aren't from this world, since you're staring at me like you've never seen a Viera before." Fran said, already guessing that fact.

"Right!" James quickly said, "We're not really… from around here."

"What's a Viera?" Carlos blinked.

"So where're you from exactly?" Balthier smirked.

Before they could answer, Filo noticed their necklaces and gasped, "Are these, Crystal necklaces?"

The guys felt their necklaces, hesitating. Kytes's face lit up in amazement.

"Oh my gosh, you must be Warriors of Light!" Kytes jumped to conclusion.

Balthier and Fran raised eyebrow in surprise, briefly exchanged glances. James and Carlos had no choice but to confirm just as another party group came into the conversation. "Yeah, guess we are."

"Wait…" Vaan said, "Warriors of Light? As in from the Prophecy?"

"As Darkness veils the World, Four Warriors of Light shall come…?" spoke Ashe in the party group. All eyes at the party turned to Ashe as she gracefully approached James and Carlos.

"I can sense great power from these Crystals." She said, "You really _are _the Four Warriors of Light. But wait…" she looked around, "…there's only two of you. Where are the others?"

"Well, let's just say we got separated again." Carlos concluded.

"Oh wow." Kytes grinned, "To actually see two of the four legends here in Ivalice is epic!"

"Way epic." Filo added, "Epic than Vaan."

"What?" Vaan frowned, "I'm not less epic!" Penelo couldn't help but laugh.

Pretty soon the entire party spread out, no longer speaking of other pointless things, as their news got shifted to the Warriors of Light's presence in Ivalice; with two of them showing up at the Official Dinner as proof. Vaan quickly stepped away, taking that chance to search through his pocket to pull out the Wind Crystal necklace, which he stole from Logan. He stared at it in awe, remembering his encounter with him.

"Could that guy I met earlier be one of these Warriors as well?" he grinned, "Man, what luck? Such Crystal like this could be worth a fortune." He stuffed the necklace back into his pocket.

Dinner was finally served later that night. There were multitudes of great tressel tables in the wide dining hall. Each table's chandeliers came to light, enveloping the place with its soft golden glow. The middle table was where the Queen Ashe and her royal guests were. Her friends were also at the table and so were James and Carlos. The dining guests were all enjoying all sorts of foods and drinks, laughing and cheerfully sharing all kind of tales with the newest guests of Ivalice. The Emperor Artemis who was on the same table as the Royal Queen couldn't stop staring at them. He looked rather curious, suspicious of their presence.

"Gentlemen." Ashe said to the group at her table, "I would like you to meet Archadia's Imperial ruler, the Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor. And also hailing from the Garlean Empire, Emperor Artemis of Garlea. They are our royal guests who would assist the kingdom on the Sky Tourneys event."

Everyone at the table greeted the two royal guests. The guests nodded with smiles.

"No way, you're an Emperor?" Carlos exclaimed at Larsa, "Wow! You're so tiny!"

GAAAASSSP! The dining hall almost went silent at Carlos's crude remark. Carlos stopped laughing, "Did I say something wrong?"

Larsa smiled, "Being small has nothing to do with the destiny bare on one's shoulders." He said, "I think you all should know that, since you guys have been chosen by grand destiny."

"He speaks the truth." Basch, Imperial bodyguard to both the Queen and Emperor Larsa added, "One should not bound himself to illusions but must face the harsh reality leading to life-changing event. The Emperor recently took the throne following the death of his brother Vayne Solidor."

"He was a heartless bastard." Penelo added.

The guys were surprised. "I can imagine." James replied.

Artemis stood up from his chair, "I believe I haven't properly introduced myself either." He once again faced the two warriors, "Name's Artemis. From the Garlean Empire."

"Uhh… didn't the Queen already introduce you?" Vaan asked the Emperor. The Emperor shot him a dark stare.

"Shh." Penelo said to Vaan, "Vaan, please. The Emperor is speaking."

"Thank you, young lady." The Emperor said, "And yes, the Queen has formally introduced myself and our young Archadian Emperor. But I thought it will seem fitting to introduce myself to two of Destiny's Warriors." He faced them again, "It is such great honor to meet at least two of you. I cannot wait till I meet the rest of the group as well."

"But…!" he went on, raising his glass of wine, "I just wanted to toast on this day, where royals and heroes can finally come together on one table to share a meal, as it is happening now."

He glanced around the dining hall to see everyone raising their glasses up in toast.

"And also," he went on, "Just wanted to speak briefly about tomorrow's event. Let us take part, all together on these tables, on this joyous festivity that is the 12th Annual Sky Tourneys of Ivalice. Whoever wins the grand tournament aboard the _Leviathan _will earn a well-deserved abundance of riches from ours truly."

He then faced the Queen, "And by ours, I mean our Royal Majesty, the Queen Ashe of Dalmasca." He then faced the young emperor, "Our fine Archadian Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor," he then faced the entire table, "and myself. _Hear-hear!_"

Everyone cheered on the toast. As the lively tables of royalties and guests continued holding cheerful converse together, there came of a sudden a thunderous crash of the double doors, swinging violently open; and there strutted a knight to the congregation.

The knight donned the silver apparel of a Dalmascan knights and its shield carried the Seal of Dalmasca. Alarmingly, the shield bore millions of scratched and bruises and his outfit was stained in fresh blood from the lower abdomen down his torso. He was gravely bleeding.

The guests stopped conversing and stared in utter horror, alarmed by his appearance.

"Oh my god, sir knight." Ashe gasped, already about to leap off from her chair when Basch held her position out of caution and stepped in instead.

"Y-your Majesty…" The knight's voice quivered, all watched the ever-lively life quickly draining from his eyes.

"What happened?" Basch cautiously asked.

The knight tried to speak, his lips vibrated as if making a bare effort to utter a word, when his eyes finally stared blankly into space and his body crashed to the upholstered carpet. Everyone shot up to their feet, crying alarmingly. There was a spear impaled on the soldier's back!

Basch rushed to the soldier's side and placed his fingers by the soldier's neck to check his pulse. Soldiers on watch came to the soldier's aid as well.

"No pulse." He concluded, shaking his head at the dining congregation, "He's dead."

All started clamoring, fear and anxiety quickly replaced the cheerful scenery from before to a more solemn situation.

"Look." Penelo pointed and the congregation noticed a sealed envelope attached to the spear's end.

"It's a letter." Carlos noted.

One of the soldiers snapped the letter from the spear and gave it to Basch who quickly handed it over to Ashe. "Must be a threat." Larsa added, "Who could do such a thing?"

Ashe ripped the envelope open. The congregation was still clamoring amongst themselves. The Emperor once again stood up, raised his hands midair and moved them down in a calming gesture, easing the crowd's tension, "Everyone, please." He said, "Let us not panic. This situation may not be worse than we think."

"Actually, it is." Ashe whispered as she deciphered the letter.

"What? What is it?" Vaan asked.

"It's a threatening letter." She disclosed in disbelief, "Someone's to get assassinated at the Tourneys Finale."

The hall once again got filled with panic.

"Who?" James exclaimed, "That better not be me!"

Ashe shook her head, deciphering the letter further, "…it's us three." She faced the congregation again, "Larsa, Artemis… and myself."

**xXx Break xXx**

So it seems that Big Time Rush and Final Fantasy also have something in common in reality. If that's so the case, then here's a little BTFF Trivia for y'all.

- This _Big Time Rush _actor apparently also has a _Final Fantasy _character (no, THREE Final Fantasy characters in the World of Ivalice. At least…) Hmm…

…what is the name of his characters, and which BTR role is he famous for?

The answer after the next break.

**xXx Break xXx**

The Official Dinner at the Royal Palace has turned into something out of a CSI show: a murder investigation. Medical units were tending to the dead soldier and other injured bodies who got affected. Apparently from what the investigative judges have deciphered, the lower halls of the Royal Palace as well as the Palace Cellars and the Outer Gardens were raided earlier this evening by a mysterious ruthless band of criminals. No one knew who they were, but all they knew was that they initially planned to crash the Dinner party; instead they chose to leave a threatening letter deducing their plan to cause mass assassinate on the three royals. Why? Power and greed, some would say. Dalmascan soldiers were taken by surprise, even some of the guests at the Outer Gardens as well. Many were injured. Few were dead, including the soldier who died in front of everyone at the Dining hall. He was actually used as the messenger boy. Hence the letter attached to the spear.

People who were still at the Royal Palace were talking, still traumatized by the event and all trying to make sense on who would do such things… even if it were sky pirates.

"We need to do something." James asserted, "As a Warrior of Light, we gotta stop these criminals."

"You can't do that." Penelo begged, "As Warrior of Light it's your duty to stop the ultimate evil, and that is Chaos." She paused, "…at least that's what we've heard from old histories. And besides, what if you get hurt? Who will salvage the world in your place?"

"Penelo's got a point there." Balthier added, "Dealing with these criminals should be the country's top priority, not world saviors. So for your safety, I would suggest to butt out."

"Heyy!" Carlos snapped.

"Now now, not trying to pick up a fight here." Balthier quickly said. "Just trying to prove a point."

"Well can we at least work with the judges?" Carlos added, "My dad's a cop. And solving crimes like this runs deep in my blood."

"True that." James agreed.

"I don't think you should meddle in royal affairs at all!" The Emperor snapped at the duo as he joined into the conversation. "As a matter fact," he then bellowed to the congregation, "no one in this congregation should be dealing with this matter! We do not want to start another war between countries just because of a planned assassination, no?"

"But Your Eminence, aren't you scared?" Kytes asked.

Artemis scoffed, "Please. Scared. I, Emperor of the Garlean Empire, have a kingdom that is as impenetrable as the Walls of Jericho or Troy. Do not underestimate the power of the Garlean Empire. In fact, just to ease everyone's tension, Ashe, Larsa and myself have summoned the best high-skilled squadron from our arsenal. We will put the lockdown on Rabanastre and everyone within the city will be under close watch."

Upon hearing this, the tension from the congregation slowly got lifted off.

Ashe sighed, "I truly appreciate your offer, James and Carlos." She said to the two friends, "But unfortunately we cannot risk having two of the four Warriors of Light go under the radar of the enemies. Let alone, enemies of three high authority figures in Ivalice. You'll just have to stay put."

Artemis then added, "But we cannot stop the Sky Tourneys from going on right?"

"It is an Ivalice's Royal Holiday." The Queen replied, "It must go on no matter what happens."

The investigation went on. Most of the guests were dismissed early, and the injured were still under care. James and Carlos seized that chance to pull away from the crowd for a while. Finally alone, Carlos spoke.

"We've gotta figure out what's going on."

"I know." James replied, "But how are we going to do that if no one is giving us the okay to help them out?"

Carlos smirked, "Simple. We create our own investigation." He secretly pulled out the bloodied letter, "starting with this letter."

James blinked, "err… Carlos?"

"Yeah?"

"Aren't you supposed to put the letter in some sort of biohazard plastic bag to avoid contaminating the evidence?"

"… … good point."

The guys took off.

xXx

The morning of the Sky Tourneys and the Sandsea, just like most of the city, was busy with people. The Sandsea was a popular tavern in Rabanastre, owned by Tomaj, a friend of Vaan. It was also the place where hunt requests were posted and was always booming with business.

Today's talk in the tavern was quite intense actually, giving the facts that there was a raid at the Royal Palace late last night and also learned of a planned assassination at the Tourneys' Finale. The citizens couldn't stop talking about it. They were expressing their fear and their concern on what went down.

Kendall, Tina, Aria, Fate, Valerie, Jack and Ryuji were at a table on the top floor of the Sandsea enjoying a delicious breakfast when they heard the commotion.

"Hey what's going on?" Kendall wondered.

"Oh, you guys haven't heard." Tomaj who was just sneaking in, updated the group, "There's been a raid at the Royal Palace last night. The Official Dinner rudely got interrupted. No one knows of the details but it was bad."

"But what _do_ you know?" Ryuji asked.

"All I know is that the Royals are in trouble." Tomaj added, "The Queen and the two visiting Emperors. No one got hurt though. Thank God." And Tomaj was off.

Tina quickly looked up in utter shock and realization, "Oh no. We haven't heard from James, Carlos and Logan since yesterday."

"Oh my gosh, what if they got in trouble?" Valerie exclaimed.

"Guys! Relax." Kendall said with a reassuring smile then shook his head, "I wouldn't worry about those guys. They're tough. _We're _tough."

"Really?" Fate gave him a questionable look, "Because last I heard, you were in a Phantom Train, literally panicking for your life."

Kendall briefly paused.

"…Yeah, you know, maybe we need to find them."

"Glad you finally came to your senses." Aria commented just as Tina quickly jumped off her chair and said, "Good! 'Cause we need to get into the _Leviathan _and find out if the others are okay. They could very well be up there."

"Whoa…! Wait a second." Jack briefly stopped the duo, "Didn't you guys heard? The whole city is now under lockdown because of what happened last night. There's a chance that no one will let us into the airship arena at the last minute. Not even those watching!"

It was then that Kendall pulled out his scheming smile. The table quickly sensed his vindictive mind concocting a plan, all except Jack who looked dumbfounded.

"What? What is it?" he looked around, desperate for answers.

"Uh-oh. Looks like Kendall is up to someth'n." Ryuji commented with a smirk.

"Oh, I'm up to someth'n." Kendall smirked, "Someth'n _gooooood_."

xXx

The moment that all Ivalice have been waiting for finally kicked off: the 12th Annual Sky Tourneys. The _Leviathan, _a massive battle airship, flying under the flagship of Dalmasca hovered before the country's Royal City of Rabanastre, little further from the Westgate and clouding up the skies like an airship ready to descend onto the people.

A huge gathering of people assembled together to witness that noble contest of fit and valor between all warriors of all classes: heroes, mercenaries, royals, one can name it. If one was to count the number of people who assembled on board the airship, the total would have been over ten thousand. And these people sat so close together, there were little to no space for legs and arms to move freely. It was as if the entire world of Ivalice has descended upon this airship.

And there in the middle of the crowding court were the three royals Larsa, Artemis and Ashe, sitting together. Ashe sat upon a high throne of red velvet fabric in the middle of the court. And besides them and every corner of the _Leviathan _were dozens of Dalmascan Soldiers, Archadian Judges, and Galtean Knights Templar. And they appeared to have surrounded the court like a large human shield. The Emperor was not kidding when he said that security was going to be tight around the place.

Right below the court was the arena: spanning 360 by 160 feet of fine golden concrete bricks and hardwood floor waiting to be soil by the sweat, tears, and blood of the tourneys' fine contestants. Further down the arena wall below the court of Royals and spectators was the commentators' box, secured by an invisible wall, and sat by two eccentric commentators a Moogle and a Black Mage, both letting out their enthusiasms of the tourneys as the mass crowd's cheering filled the air.

"WHOA! Kupo! Well-a-come everybody to the Ivalice 12th Annual Sky Tourneys! I'm Mog and this is my good pal, Vivian!" The Mog said.

"uhh… it's Vivi." The Black Mage corrected listlessly.

"Well, enough of that! Let's get this show on the road!" Mog enthusiastically cried out, and so did the crowd, "Let us introduce to you all, the contenders of the 12th Annual Sky Tourneys!"

Before them, the gates at the corner of the ship's arena shifted open and out poured in the contenders of the tourneys, lining up like a parade of human souls and waving at their fans. James and Carlos were first in line; and before them was someone they never thought they'd meet again: Axel. Besides Axel, there was another young man known as Matt Salazar. Axel saw him and was shocked to see him, but Matt has yet to notice him. He and Matt seemed to have a special connection.

Then there was Vaan and Penelo, who were excited to partake on the tournament but bummed out to learn that Kytes and Filo will not attend, but will watch and support them in battle. But then there was Balthier and Fran, who almost always _never_ let this opportunity to put down their opponents pass by. And they were with their little sky pirate comrade Sir Teej of Jylland, whom when James and Carlos saw him, could recognize him in an instant as Kendall's rival Jett Stetson!

Little further behind Vaan were a couple more sky pirates besides Teej, Balthier, and Fran. Those bands include Donga, the Seeq who was after Vaan earlier. And right besides Donga was the 012 Warriors: Lightning, Kain, Tifa and Laguna. Vaan was not happy to see Donga on the field and was suspicious of his presence in the tourneys, with the whole assassination threat and all. But when he saw Donga and these 012 warriors together, that made him twice as nervous and twice as suspicious.

Finally there were the famed Knights of the Northern Sky from the Kingdom of Lesalia, Gallione and Limberry yonder. And finally there were two enigmatic soldiers who also looked like sky pirates: Luso Clements and his pal who calls herself Lil', hiding herself in a red hood.

Thus was the roster of contenders to the 12th Annual Sky Tourneys. And it was large, but not as large as the cheering crowd.

"Give it up for your contenders ladies and gentlemen! Big round of applause and cheers!" Mog cried out and the crowd once again let out shouts of praises for their favorite.

xXx

"STOP! STOP! STOOOOOOPPH!"

All heads turned to the source of the screaming noises back at the Royal City's Southern Plaza. The crowd suddenly watched Kendall darting off like a ninja, carrying with him a bag of jewels. Of course the jewels were nothing but fake accessories the Magick Sisters have conjured up for Kendall as part of the plan. Even Kendall's Earth Crystal necklace was in the bag. Kendall zoomed right past soldiers on watch, catching their attentions.

Tina and Chocolate frantically ran after him, shaking their fists in the air and screaming, "STOP THAT THIEF! STOP THAT THIEEEEEEF!"

"KWWOK THAT KWWWEEEP!" Chocolate croaked.

Kendall crashed through the Westgate of the Royal City. The _Leviathan _was seen hovering not far from the Westersand. Couple of soldiers jumped in front of Kendall, blocking his path.

"Okay, buddy! What is going on?" A soldier asked.

Kendall looked back to watch Tina reaching him. "Officers!" she said to the soldiers, "Oh, thank goodness!" She then shot a dark glare at Kendall, "That guy just STOLE from me and many of my friends and I demand to—!"

"Oh look!" Kendall pointed up. The Soldiers looked up. Kendall landed crushing knee blows at the soldiers' crotches. "OOOOHHH!" The soldiers went down in pain. Kendall and Tina seized their chance.

"There!" she pointed Kendall the way he's supposed to go: the Aerodrome! He went for it, and Tina followed behind with her Chocobo, still screaming dramatically, "STOP THE THIEF! STOP THE DANG THIEEEEFF!"

"KWWOK THAT KWWWEEEP!" Chocolate croaked.

"GET 'EM!" the soldiers in pain barked at the arriving reinforcements and they went after the duo. The soldier quickly went through an intercom and spoke on it, "We have an emergency breach! I repeat we HAVE an emergency BREACH! They're heading straight for the _Leviathan! _Stop them, NOW!"

xXx

Back at the _Leviathan, _

"Before we get started!" Mog went on with his commentary, "Our imperial guest, His Eminence Artemis of Garlea, has a message for all of citizens and contenders of this festivity."

A wave of applause from the mass audience revered the _Leviathan _as the Emperor stood up from his throne and stepped down to the ship's balcony. The Queen and the Archadian Emperor quietly watched. Artemis briefly glanced at the audience.

"Ladies." He looked to his left, "Gentlemen" he looked to his right, "…and contenders of this Sky Tourneys." He then looked down at the parade of contenders on the arena field, "…welcome." His eyes fixed directly on Axel, James and Carlos, who were in front and genuinely smiled.

He looked at the audience again, "…to this great celebration of fit, and valor."

He paused, "As you may have all heard, last night, a great disturbance recently occurred at the Royal Palace during the Official Dinner, threatening the lives of our great Royals sitting with me this morning, as well as myself. People were hurt in the process, but the enemies did not proceed with their callous missions. No doubt they will try it again."

Another pause from the Emperor allowed the crowd to speak mutters of worry.

"But rest assured, people of Ivalice; that the Royal Queen of Dalmasca, the Emperor of Archadia and myself have hired the best military judges, soldiers and knights templar from our arsenal to ensure the utmost safety to all. We are also making sure that all entries and exits from this Royal Capital Rabanastre of Dalmasca be blocked from all kind of intrusion. That means no one is allowed to get in OR out of this place until the tourneys end, and until we catch these assassins and brought them to justice. Once again we are doing this for your utmost safety. Safety to all Ivalice."

A brief pause and vehemently he said, "So let us enjoy this festivity that is the 12th Annual Sky Tourneys of Ivalice, with eased minds and untroubled hearts."

And the mass audience roared into applause and cheering.

"Wow." Axel leaned in close to James and Carlos and muttered, "That Emperor guy is such a showoff. Boasting about the safety of Ivalice as if he owes the place."

"Really?" James and Carlos said together.

"I think he's nice." Carlos said.

Axel shook his head, "I don't think so."

Vaan briefly looked over his shoulder and caught eye contact with both Lightning and Donga. He quickly looked away.

"So without any further ado," Mog took the stage again, "let us dismiss our contenders and get ready for the 12th Annual Sky Tourneys!"

And so the contenders were dismissed to their prepping chambers and the arena was getting all set up for the first set of match-ups. It took about five to ten minutes to have everything ready for the first match to kick off the tourneys.

xXx

Vaan was in his prepping chamber, staring at the Wind Crystal necklace he stole from Logan. He looked as if he was in deep thought. A hand felt his shoulder and he jumped. He turned around, hand clutched on the crystal behind his back. He stared right into Donga's eyes.

"There you are you little nasty." Donga grinned.

"Donga." Vaan narrowed his eyes.

"Listen pal! You owe me a little some—!"

Donga's head suddenly turned to one side and the sky pirate landed on the ground like a dead body. Vaan saw Kain behind the sky pirate.

"You again!" he snapped at Kain, before pointing at the knocked-out Seeq, "What did you do to him?"

"Relax. I only put him to sleep." Kain said, "And I'm not here to persuade you to remember. Nor we are expecting you to do so."

Vaan squinted, "Remember what?"

Kain glanced at Vaan's hands behind his back, still clutching on Logan's Crystal. "…you seem to be holding onto a precious artifact huh?"

Vaan stepped back cautiously. Kain went on, "…like it has deep-rooted meaning to you? If you were a true sky pirate, you would have sold it a long time ago. No questions asked."

Vaan frowned again. Kain turned on his heels and stepped out the chamber, leaving Vaan bewildered.

"…how did he know I'm a sky pirate?" he muttered.

xXx

Mog cried out on his microphone.

[KICKING OFF THIS FIRST ROUND! HE'S LEAN, HE'S MEAN, HE'S A PUNCHING CUTE MACHINE, AND THE LADIES CAN'T STAND NOT BEING WITH HIM, HE IS ONE OF THE FOUR WARRIORS OF LIGHT, ATTRIBUTE WATER, GIVE IT UP FOR JAMES "THE FACE" DIAMOND!]

James sauntered into the ring and waved at the cheering crowd, most of them who were screaming their throats away were girls. He spotted a group of them and did a couple of flirt, couple of flashy smiles and did his signature pose: 'the face'; and half of these girls squealed so much they fainted.

WE LOVE YOU, JAMES! MARRY ME, JAMES! JAMES YOU'RE MY SOUL MATE! They were screaming.

[AND HIS OPPONENT WHO SO HAPPENS TO BE HIS BELOVED BEST FRIEND: THE NINJA, THE STEALTHY, THE ALL-HIGH-AND-MIGHTY WITH A SOFT HEART BUT PACKS A FLURRY OF SKILLS! HE IS THE SECOND OF THE FOUR WARRIORS OF LIGHT, ATTRIBUTE FIRE, GIVE IT UP FOR CARLOS 'EL FUEGO' GARCIA!]

And the mass crowd went wild again as an explosion detonated in front of James, startling him. The smoke cleared up to reveal Carlos on one knee, with a sly smile. The girls got crazier than when James entered. They squealed and dramatically flapped their hands over their faces.

Carlos jumped to his feet, glaring at James, "Why hello there, _the face_."

James grinned, "Good to see you again… _El fuego._"

[Let this battle… COMMENCE!] Vivi barked, sending out an explosive Fire attack in the air, signaling the start of battle. The crowd cheered on.

Carlos took a mad dash at James, but then vanished before he could even reach him. The crowd gasped.

[KUPO! WHERE DID HE GO?]

James turned around and got surprised with a flurry of punches and kicks from Carlos. The crowd cheered on. Carlos then delivered a strong kick that sent James flying.

[WHOA! THAT WAS FAST! DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING!]

Carlos followed in a chase and threw another punch. James dodged the punch then threw a counter punch, but Carlos dodged it again, and then counterattacked again, but James dodged again. They quickly got into a DBZ-style combat of punches and kicks, dodges and misses, and teleportation at every corner of the arena.

[WHOA! LOOKS LIKE WE ARE CAUGHT IN A TANGLE WEB OF PUNCHES AND KICKS! WILL WE SEE AN END TO THAT, KUPO?]

[We better. Here it comes now!]

James then charged-up his punch, surprising his opponent into an early dodge. James quickly caught an opening and struck his charged punch at his opponent, sending him flying. The crowd and the announcers cheered on. Carlos recovered midair.

[AND WHAT A QUICK RECOVERY]

James landed on the ground and with his nunchuks, "Didn't expect that from you, Carlos, huh! But I'M THE ONE WHO'S GONNA WIN!" He then fired a flurry of energy bullets from his nunchuks similar to Zidane's Scoop Art attack. Carlos charged at James, straight toward the bullets, knocking them out of the way with his arms. The crowd cheered on.

"What?"

Carlos reached James, "Too bad buddy!" he grinned then rolled downward with his twin blades, slashing his opponent then spun and stomped him into the ground similar to Kain's Crashing Dive attack. The crowd cheered on wildly. He then charged with multi-strike attack of his blades similar to Onion Knight Extra-Slice attack. But James quickly blocked the final blow, grabbed him by the arm and flipped him midair. The crowd jumped on their feet just as James finished with a palm thrust, sending Carlos flying. The crowd went wild.

[OH MY POMPOM! VIVIAN, DID YOU SEE THAT KUPO?]

[THE NAME'S VIVI! AND YES I SAW IT! I'M NOT BLIND!]

xXx

It's been a long trek down the Waterway for Logan, but he had finally reached his goal.

He spotted a cave nearby: a well-lit cave with torches still burning despite the chilly atmosphere of the waterway. He could also catch a glimpse of a bookshelf inside.

"That must be Daswai's Place." he said and immediately ran toward the cave. He got inside, but then without taking another step, stopped. There were books and papers, scattered everywhere.

"Okay, the guy may be a scholar but BOY is he really messy." He wondered.

He slowly stepped inside, quickly picking up the papers and at the same time trying not to step on something important to the scholar. He placed some of the scattered papers and books he had gathered onto the table when he saw a candle glass that was knocked over the table and left some hot wax on it to dry. The glass appeared broken. But then he noticed the table's edge. There was blood stain.

His eyes tracked down the blood from the table down a wall. He quickly noticed other broken artifacts, a shattered chair… he even saw an actual copy of the Bonga Bugle newsletter on the floor. The Daswai article page was in front and was half torn. His heart started beating.

"Okay…" he gulped, "…this place's not just ransacked. It's been ransacked on purpose. Daswai got attacked!"

He stood there, staring at the place. But what he failed to notice was the shadowy figure that was following him, perched up at a wall corner like a spying ninja.

xXx

Back at the _Leviathan _Sky Tourneys, Carlos recovered again in midair, landing on his feet. Before he knew it he saw James charging at him with a flying punch. "HOLY STRIKE!" He struck him once then delivered with a flurry of flying punches combos and then airborne raised his fist in the air. A bright light overwhelmed the fist to everyone's amazement. He then swung down, drilling Carlos right through the ground till he was no more. The crowd got up, excited and anticipating what has happened to the contender.

[DID YOU SEE THAT? KUPO, DID YOU _SEE_ THAT?]

[… …]

[WHAT JUST HAPPENED, KUPO?]

[Who knows? Looks like James just defeated—!]

[WAIT A MINUTE! WHAT IS THIS?]

The crowd gasped as they noticed a dark shadow hovering underneath James. James looked down and saw two hands coming out of the shadow, grabbed his legs, and pulled him in.

"AAAAH!" James screamed as he quickly disappeared into the shadow, and the shadow vanished, causing the entire crowd of people to jump off their feet to see what has happened to James.

[WHAT THE-? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FACE? WHAT HAPPENED TO JAMES?]

[I dunno! But girls aren't gonna like that!]

And the girls whined on cue.

James reappeared into a cabin underneath the arena and landed hard on the ground. Carlos was with him also. He grinned guiltily.

"Whoops. My bad."

James jumped back on his feet, brushed off the dusts and glared at his friend, "Next time, can you put in some pillows or something soft?"

"It's time." Carlos informed, "So pick out your best costumes."

He pulled out two ninja garbs by magic. James shook his head, "Too ninja."

Carlos then pulled out two red jumpsuits with flashy yellow trims. James shook his head, "Too daredevil."

Carlos then pulled out two overalls with matching hats: red and green color. James shook his head again, "Too Mario and Luigi."

"Actually it's _Cario and Juigi_"

James rolled his eyes, "Whatever."

Carlos then pulled out two baggy priests' robes. James smiled, "Perfect."

"Okay, now it's time for Operation: Stop the Assassins."

The two friends high-fived and took off in haste.

xXx

The crowd continued to cheer on wildly on board the _Leviathan _arena.

[SHOULD WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT FIGHT, KUPO?]

[Guess so! The show must go on! This next match-up is up between the multi-weapon mercenary Axel Joedo and the Bangaa group BTR!]

Axel sauntered into the ring as the mass crowd cheered once more. He paused in the middle of the ring, "…wait? BTR? Bangaa?" he blinked, "The Warriors of Light aren't Bangaas? What…!"

"Whatchu talkin' 'bout, weenie?" hissed the voice of Ba'Gamnan. Axel turned to face him and his posse approaching. The crowd's cheering and applause quickly got replaced by the sound of jeering and insults at the clan's presence.

"Ahh… so YOU'RE the BTR dudes people's been raving ab—I'm sorry, _booing _about." Axel joked.

"Uhh… ahem." Rinok cleared her throat, "Sweetie. First of all, it's dudes and _dudette._ And second of all, they're not booing. They're cheering… if you listen carefully."

Axel raised an eyebrow.

Ba'Gamnan spat on ground, and his brothers wiped snot off their muzzles. "Ya think ya so tough? Huh? Ya think ya so tough?" Ba'Gamnan insulted, posing for combat, "Bring it on!"

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa… Four against one?" Axel complained, "That's cheatin'!"

"Are you chickin'?" Bwagi squawked, and the group started clucking and moving about like chicken. The crowd continued to boo. Axel narrowed his eyes.

[OH MY KUPO! LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GETTING TAUNTED BY THE BA'GAMNAN T'ROUBLES HERE!]

[My magic is sensing a hot combat waiting to happen!]

Axel summoned two blades, then summoned two of his Dessert Eagles, then telepathically brought out multitudes of lances and a large scythe behind him. He smirked at the Bangaa siblings who immediately stopped their clucking to stare at the arsenal of weapons.

"Bring it on."

And the crowd went wild. Ba'Gamnan turned red, roared a battle cry while drumming on his chest and the group dashed at Axel. Axel dashed at the group as well, his weapons telepathically followed.

xXx

Dalmascan Soldiers, along with Archadian Judges and Garlean Knights Templar reached the _Leviathan's _interior via the Aerodrome, arriving at the ship's Great Hall with many hallways. They were about 12 of them. The army looked around anxiously for Kendall and Tina, who have entered the _Leviathan._ But no luck. The hall appeared to be hollow, since many of its residents have relocated to the arena above to watch the Sky Tourneys.

"Okay. They're nowhere to be found." A knight Templar said to his group, "Now are you SURE you saw them enter the ship?"

"YES!" one of the Dalmascan soldiers barked, "With my own eyes! A guy, a girl, and a Chocobo. They went via the Aerodrome!"

"Well then, where are they?" shouted one of the judges. The army looked around.

Another soldier pointed to his right, "I thought I heard footsteps from over there!"

"Then let's go!" the judge said, but then quickly changed tunes, "Or better yet, let's split. I'll inform the other army on-watch of the situation. These guys must NOT go into the arena!"

"Got it!" and the army split up, half of them going left, while the other half went right. But Kendall was hiding southwest from where they ran off to. Tina and Chocolate quickly reached him, appearing heavily tired and gasping for air.

"Uff… Puff… Are they… gone?" Tina wheezed.

"I think so." Kendall said, "But uh… Tina?"

"Yeah?"

"Should it be easier for you next time to mount on Chocolate instead of just running?"

Tina looked at Chocolate who stared back. She stared back at Kendall again, angrily grimacing, "Good to know."

"Come on." The trio left their hiding place, and just as they were running, heard footsteps and two shadows growing before them. The duo froze up, unable to find a place to hide from the approaching figures. The figures appeared before them: it was two priests. Two very familiar priests. Kendall smiled broadly at them.

"James?" he exclaimed, "Carlos?"

The two priests—or the priest-disguised guys—froze up at Kendall and Tina's presence.

"It IS you guys!" Kendall said, laughing at their goofy costumes, "My gosh, what are you wearing?"

"Where have you guys been?" Tina barked at them angrily, "You know I've been worried sick about you all, right?"

James and Carlos glanced at each other, then back at Kendall and Tina. Then with a fake Roman accent James first spoke. "Uhh… we don't-a know what thou art speaking of, my child."

"Then perhaps," Carlos added with a fake Roman accent, "thou art in need of a confession. For shall we banish all that is evil in thy rightful minds."

"Oh, cut the Shakespearean acts guys." Kendall grinned, "We know it's you."

James and Carlos ripped the beards off their noses and the white fluffy wigs off their heads. James snapped, "Well, you just like to ruin my dreams, don't you Kendall? I was just getting into character!"

"James." Carlos sighed, "Just be honest. We suck at it."

"Okay guys, what's going on?" Tina said, "What are you all doing here? Where's Logan? Why are you all dressed up in those ridiculous outfits anyway? Am I asking too much questions here?"

"Uhh… yeah?" the guys all replied.

"And nice to see you again Tina." James said.

"Okay, now that we've all reunited… except Logan that is…" Carlos began, "We have to stop a group of assassins from committing a mass murder."

Kendall and Tina raised eyebrows.

Carlos pulled out the incriminating letter and handed it to the duo, "Take a look at this."

Kendall took the letter and read. So did Tina. They both looked stunned.

"Oh my god, this is serious." Kendall said.

"You wanna know serious?" James said, "Someone got killed last night. A soldier it looks like. Sadly he wasn't the only ones. Lots of people got hurt too. But the attack that happened last night was only a warning."

"Things are looking very grim for the Royals. The Queen and the Emperors." Carlos added, "Everyone fears for their safeties, if not just their own."

"Wait…" Kendall said, "Someone's trying to kill the Queen and the two visiting Emperors? Who?"

James and Carlos only shrugged, "Only the person who wrote the letter." Carlos said.

"W…we gotta stop the criminals somehow." Tina said.

"Do you know who wrote this?" Kendall asked.

"Dude, we're still searching." James said.

"It could be anyone." Carlos added.

"Anyone with that handwriting…?" Tina examined the letter. She blinked a couple of times, suddenly recognizing its penmanship, "…wait a minute."

"What?" the guys said together.

She looked up, her face almost colorless, "I have a feeling I know who wrote this!"

They suddenly heard a scuffing on the ground. Their heads whizzed around and they jumped. Before them were two gunners, camouflaged in red, enough to cover their faces and only exposing their stern slanted eyes. Strands of their hairs were hanging loose however, showing their distinct appearances. The first gunner had strand of dark hair, while the second gunner had strand of sandy-blond hair.

The two gunners held the heroes at gunpoint. "Whoa…" Carlos gasped.

"You're not getting away with this, meddling kids." The black-haired gunner threatened.

"Just hand over the letter," the second gunner said, "and nobody will get hurt."

"…okay." Kendall gulped, "…we won't. But if you could just please, put your weapons down—!"

The light-haired gunner fired his weapon. Right on cue, James' Crystal necklace shone and a force field wrapped around the heroes. The bullet suddenly slowed its pace, as if time affected it. The bullet then stopped its movement altogether, inches from the large force field, and uselessly clattered to the ground. The two gunners stared, bewildered.

"Oh my god!" the light-haired gunner exclaimed, finally noticing the glowing crystal, and glanced around Kendall and Carlos to see that they got Crystals too, "Crystals!" he glared frighteningly at his comrade, "They're the Warriors! The Warriors of Light!"

"Like that Vaan guy we saw?" the black-haired gunner mumbled. The guys and Tina frowned. "Let's beat it!" the gunner yelled out and the duo took off running. The heroes then stared at each other.

"What just happened?" James blinked.

"Your Crystal!" Tina said, "It casted a Slowga Time Magic Spell!"

"Slowga?" Kendall blinked.

"This is no time to explain magic!" Carlos exclaimed, "They're getting away!"

The gang gave chase. The gunners skidded around a corner, darted through an empty chamber and out the balcony toward yet another empty chamber and circled back to the Great Halls.

"Why are we running?" muttered the black-haired gunner, "We got a frigging gun for crying out loud!"

"Did YOU see the gun hit them?" the light-haired gunner yelled, "And besides, I panic under pressure!"

"Well is it the TIME to panic now?"

"Oh boy," the light-haired gunner quivered, "His Eminence ain't gonna like this…"

The gunners bumped right onto approaching Soldiers and Knights Templar. The heroes then reached both groups, cornering the criminals.

"What's going on here?" the leader Templar—an aged Bangaa—barked.

The two panicky gunners looked at the Imperial guards then at the heroes who have cornered them.

"Go ahead, criminals." James said to them with his arms crossed, "Tell them what you're _really_ up to."

"Or what you almost did to us." Kendall snapped.

"Yeah!" Carlos shouted.

"What they said." Tina added.

The gunners glared back at the soldiers and knights templar before forging a smile on their faces.

"We were hired by the Royal Court of Dalmasca, as the entertaining acts for the Sky Tourneys Grand Finale." The black-haired gunner lied, "…we're ninjas and acrobats at best."

"We were of course, on our way to the _Leviathan_ Grand Arena when…" the light-haired gunner then pointed a finger at the heroes, "…these meddlin' kids tried to hurt us!"

"What?" The heroes gasped.

"It's… it's… IT'S AN OUTRRRAAAGE!"

"It's true!" the black-haired gunner nodded, almost innocently, "You should lock them up before they could hurt someone. They got a gun."

The guys and Tina frowned at that lie.

"Who knows?" the light-haired gunner went on, "Maybe it's the same fellas who are…" he then whispered, "…trying to hurt the Lady Ashe and the two Emperors."

The heroes laughed out loud. "Whaaat?"

"That's ridiculous. We don't even have a gun." Tina said, "Heck, we don't even LIKE guns. Search us and see."

The Templars were searching the heroes and also the gunners, while the soldiers had surrounded the groups. Then the Bangaa Templar spoke, "Don't have a gun eh? Well then, what do you call this?"

The Templars pulled out not one, not two, but THREE guns from the guys' pockets!

"AAAAAHHH!" the guys screamed, shocked at that sudden twist. It was the same gun they saw the gunners carrying. Except, it came in three forms and from their own pockets! The alerted soldiers pulled out their lances and pointed at the heroes.

"Wha…wh… wh… this is… THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!" James screamed.

"That's not my gun! I don't even OWN a gun!" Carlos exclaimed, "Why would I even own a gun?"

The Templar mirthlessly chuckled, "You tell me." He coldly stared.

"Okay…" Kendall stammered, "…but would you believe us if we told you that magic had something to do with this sick trick?" he glowered at the two gunners who simply shrugged.

"No." The Templar replied, "Because too bad for you, we don't believe in liars." He then glared at James and Carlos, "And you two priests aren't doing a really good job at it." He said upon noticing the guys' priest outfits.

Tina pointed at the criminals, "But these guys were the ones who—!" she stopped talking when she saw the gunners were no longer carrying their weapons. Her eyes boggled, "…okay, that… that is so… THAT IS SO…"

"…busted?" The leader Templar said as the other Templars came behind them and prepared their handcuffs, "Yeah… you're all under arrest for the attempted assassination of Emperors Artemis of Galtea, Larsa Ferrinas Solidor of Archadia, and Her Royal Majesty the Queen Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca."

"WHAAAT?" the heroes screamed.

"—AND threatened to kill these two innocent bystanders to cover up your acts!" the Templar finished and the handcuffs clicked on the guys and Tina's wrists.

"But we didn't do anything!" screamed Carlos as the heroes started screaming, arguing and complaining for their rights with the Templars as they were being escorted away, "You can't arrest us! I demand a lawyer!" "Lemmego dang it!" "What are you doing? STOP!"

With the guards and the meddling heroes out of the way, the gunners let out a sigh of relief.

"See, you can't be an Illusionist for nothing." said the black-haired gunner before his comrade waved his hand over his and his companion's pockets to reveal their guns again. "Three guns! Now that's pure genius!"

"Man, I love my powers." The light-haired gunner smiled, "Now that these insects are gone, we can resume our task."

The gunners said their tasks together in one keyword: "Murder."

The gunners left to carry out their mission, unaware that Chocolate, who had narrowly escaped this whole ordeal, was watching them.

"Ooooh… Kwuuudeeer…" Chocolate trembled at that word 'Murder', before he took off running.

* * *

**The three part event _Big Time Ivalice _is just getting started!**

**Next time**

_-The guys and Tina have been arrested for a crime they were wrongfully accused of committing… meanwhile; the real culprits are still on the loose, ready to set their dark deed in motion. Will the kingdom be able to catch these real culprits in time? Will our heroes ever escape their prisons just in time to stop the criminals before it's too late for the Queen and the two Emperors?_

_And Logan has found Daswai's place, only to find it ransacked. Even worse, he has no idea he's been followed. Where will this mystery lead him to next? And could Logan be the only key to rescue his buddies and stop the criminals?_

_And where does young skypirate Vaan fits into this mess? One thing for sure, he has Logan's Crystal. But will he ever come accept his fate as a Hero of Light? And how will the Sky Tourneys end? _

**_So much unanswered questions to be revealed next time_**

**~Big Time Ivalice (part 2)~**

* * *

**Break**

Think you know the answer?

- This _Big Time Rush _actor apparently also has a _Final Fantasy _character (no, THREE Final Fantasy characters in the World of Ivalice) Hmm…

…what is the name of his characters, and which BTR role is he famous for?

It's Phil LaMarr. Most famous for his Big Time Rush role as the notorious Hawk from Hawk Records!

In Final Fantasy XII, he plays Reddas, a sky pirate and an ally to the Lady Ashe and her party; and in Final Fantasy Tactics – War of Lions, he plays Ramza Beoulve, the main character! Oh, and he plays one of the Ba'Gamnan's brothers.

Interesting fact now, huh?


	10. Ep8: Big Time Ivalice pt2

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

A/N: Don't forget to wish James a happy birthday! He's 21 this year! Happy Birthday, James!

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Ep.8: __Big Time Ivalice (part 2)__**-**_

* * *

_Last time on Big Time Final Fantasy – Big Time Ivalice,_

_The Warriors of Light found themselves in a new world called Ivalice, in which its Royal kingdom of Dalmasca was just about to celebrate a major international event known as the Ivalice Sky Tourneys, where people from all over came to battle onboard the city's royal airship._

_James and Carlos decided to take part of the tourneys but were unable to register early as the registration time was closed. Luckily for them, they came across a golden ticket inviting its wielder to the Tourneys' Official Dinner, giving them immediate entry to the tourneys. _

_But during the dinner, disaster struck as an unknown band of criminals sent out a letter of assassination to the guests by invading the Royal Palace and slaughtering soldiers' on-watch. Their prime targets: Queen Ashe of Dalmasca and her visiting royal guests Emperors Larsa of Archadia and Artemis of Garlea._

_News of the attack soon spread across the city, but no word of the planned assassination reached citizens' ears, causing them to fear the worst. James and Carlos, despite pleas from the Royals not to meddle, decided to investigate and vowed to find the criminals before they could strike. But the investigation turned sour as a dangerous encounter with mysterious bandits led the duo alongside Kendall and Tina into being set up as the criminals behind the assassination plot. Could they be able to escape in time to thwart the real criminals' plan?_

_Meanwhile, Logan discovers that the eccentric Daiswai, a name once used against the heroes by the villains, is actually a real person: a Nu Mou scholar in a current deep research involving the War of the Gods Cosmos and Chaos. Curious, the young wizard decides to find this scholar who is believed to be visiting Rabanastre for the Sky Tourneys event. But upon reaching his residence, Logan discovers the scholar's been attacked and fears for his safety, unaware that an enigmatic spy has been following his every move… will Logan be able to find Daiswai? Your answers await…_

**xXx**

Logan couldn't stop staring at the place he was in: scattered papers and books across the floor and table, a knocked-down candle, leaving trail of wax and blood stain on the table border, the half-torn newsletter of the Bonga Bugle…. The only thing he failed to notice was a shadowy figure perched up by the left wall corner of the cave like a spying ninja. The ninja was staring at him like a leopard locking-on a defenseless gazelle.

Logan quickly went for the Bonga Bugle newsletter and stared again at Daiswai's face. He shook his head, "Why would anyone wanna hurt such poor innocent dog like… I mean, _Nu Mou _like Daiswai?"

The ninja narrowed his eyes, slowly pulled out a Shuriken and with his two fingers pinched to it, locked on his target. He breathed eerily.

Logan looked away from Daiswai's picture and then looked up to the left wall corner where the Ninja was.

He saw no one.

He blinked.

He quickly shook his head, "…Focus, Logan! There's an innocent pooch… AUGH, I meant NU MOU, who needs your help like right now!"

He dropped the torn newsletter and sprinted out of the cave. The ninja landed onto his feet, and watched his target disappearing at distance. He breathed again eerily.

xXx

The guys were inside the Rabanastre Royal Dungeon. It was eerie and was filled with the foulest, most disgusting smell. The guys were all piled up in one dirty cell with flies flying over pee stain—some dried, some fresh—at a corner and spider webs around other corners.

"Nice going, Carlos." James growled at Carlos.

Carlos glared back at him, "Oh, so you're blaming me? What about what YOU said?" he imitated James's voice, "'Ooh! Go ahead, criminals! Tell them what you're _really_ up to!' You should have just exposed them!"

"Hey! You're the one who went on sayin': 'Ohh! We don't even LIKE guns. Search us and see.' Like you got nothing to hide."

"…actually. Tina said that."

"HEEEY!" Tina exclaimed, "Forgive me for trying to be polite to Imperial officers of the LAW!"

"Would you guys just stop complaining?" Kendall quieted down the guys, "If we put our heads together, we'll find a way to bust out of this joint. Right now let's focus."

"You're right." Tina said to Kendall before spotting an open window, which only provided with a little bit of sunlight. She turned to face James and Carlos, "One of you, help me reach that window." She pointed up.

James and Carlos faced each other, and briefly played rock-paper-scissors to see who will go first. "1-2-3!"

James showed Rock and Carlos showed Scissors. "YYYESSS!" James whooped.

"UGGH! EVERYTIME!" Carlos grumbled before facing Tina. Tina started climbing on Carlos's back, "You know, maybe next time you _should _go for paper." Tina reminded him, fully aware of Carlos's losing streak to James.

"Oh no, sister! Someday, HE'LL go for Paper and my Scissors will prevail!" Carlos exclaimed. He approached the window, carrying Tina on his shoulders, and stepped on fresh pee, "Ewww… that's disgustin'!"

"Just stay still!" Tina complained, "There's nothing wrong with fresh pee." She then looked out the window, "Now if only I could…"

"SQUAAAAWWK!" screamed Chocolate as he got all up on Tina's face, startling her.

"EEEEEEEEP!" Tina screamed and both she and Carlos fell onto the pee puddle.

"EEeeEEEeeeWWWww!" Tina whined, "Seriously?"

Kendall and James chortled. Carlos glared at Tina, "SO, is there NOTHING wrong with fresh pee now?"

Kendall and James approached Chocolate, "Is that Chocolate?" Kendall said, recognizing the panicked Chocobo.

"Hey, Chocolate! Care to bust us out of this place? I'm starving and the food here is disgusting!" James complained, "Even Hospital food is more delicious than that!"

"Uhh… James?" Kendall said.

"What?"

"We haven't even been fed here yet."

"…oh." He then added, "Well if a prison is not a hospitable environment, then the food is definitely not edible!"

"KWEEK! KWEEK! KWWWEEEK!" Chocolate screamed, interrupting.

"Something's wrong with Chocolate!" Tina said, recognizing his cry of distress, "What? What is it?" she asked the Chocobo.

"KWEEK-KWEEK! KWWWEEEK! KWEEK-KWEEK! KWWWEEEK! KWUDER! KWUDER!"

"Sounds like he's saying Murder." Carlos translated.

Tina gasped, "Oh my gosh! That's what he's sayin'!"

The guys all faced Tina, "Murder?"

"Yes! These guys we saw earlier?"

"The two gunners?"

"No, the happy couple. YES, the two gunners!" Tina snapped, "They are part of this whole assassination plot against the royals!" she then muttered to herself, "…and if that damn girl is with them, I swear…"

The guys glanced at each other then back at Tina, "Girl?" they repeated.

Tina then faced Chocolate, "Okay, Chocolate. You need to find the Magick Sisters, Jack, and Ryuji. They need to bust us outta here…" she then stopped, "…wait! The guards will question seeing a lone Chocobo roaming the city. It's too risky, especially with security being tight around the place."

"…then what can we do?" James asked.

Kendall lit up, an idea in mind, "Logan!"

All heads turned to him.

"Logan could help us!" Kendall replied before removing his Crystal necklace and handed it over to Chocolate, "Here. The Crystal should lead you to him."

"But is he in the city?" Carlos asked.

"No. I spotted him not long ago, going down the Lowtown." Kendall replied, "There's no security down there. And he's our only hope." He faced Chocolate again, "Tell him what's been happening, fast."

"And don't dawdle!" James exclaimed, "It's a matter of life and death here!"

"Hurry!" Carlos begged.

"Godspeed!" Tina wished.

And Chocolate took off in a mad dash. A wild cheer from the crowd is soon heard across distance, followed by Mog's explosive cheerful voice, proclaiming victory. "WE HAVE A WINNER!"

"Aww… man. We're missing out on the tourneys." Carlos complained.

James shook his head and sighed, "Guess we can kiss that mysterious sweet grand prize good-bye."

xXx

_The Leviathan_

Ba'Gamnan's body landed on the ground in a heavy thud as the cheering crowd overwhelmed the skies.

[DID YOU SEE THAT VIVIAN? I MEAN REALLY, KUPO, DID YOU SEE THAT?]

[Yes, yes… we all saw it]

[AND LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE CHEERING! TALK ABOUT A MOTH TO A FLAME, HUH KUPO?]

[By the way, the name is—!]

[LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR OUR WINNER, AXEL JOEDO!]

The crowd cheering trailed on as Axel waved his right hand and all of his multi-weapons vanished in a blink of an eye. He then clapped his hands together. He then approached the group and knelt beside them, grinning from ear to ear, "Talk about washed-up popstars, I'll tell you that, Kupo." He then paused, shaking his head, "…why did I even say that?"

"Nggh… Ngggghhhh…" Ba'Gamnan managed to raise his head up to glare at his opponent, "Y-you… will… p-paaaay… uggh…"

"Yeah-yeah-yeah." Axel with only his fingers pushed Ba'Gamnan's head down like a mere object and stood up, "Carry on."

He turned around and started walking away just as White Mages Nu Mou and Moogles came to retrieve Ba'Gamnan and his group.

"I'll fight you."

The crowd cheering suddenly got twice as loud in response to the mysterious voice speaking behind Axel. Axel paused. He looked over his shoulder, and then turned around to meet his opponent's gaze: Matt Salazar!

[WAIT A MINUTE! WHAT'S GOING ON, KUPO? WE DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS FIGHTER TO COME IN YET!]

[He should've been fighting with Donga the Gluttonous Seeq in the next round but apparently he decided to break the rules]

Axel started approaching Matt, and the crowd's anticipating cheer thundered across the airship.

[BUT WAIT, KUPO! THIS COULD BE INTERESTING! LOOKS LIKE THESE TWO GUYS KNOW EACH OTHER.]

Axel grinned, "So… you wanna fight me huh?"

Matt stared; his expressionless and rock solid face was framed under all that dark-brown hair reaching his shoulders, "You think you have what it takes?"

"Handsome, I have all the time it takes."

Matt's eyes squinted.

[COMMENCE!] Vivi barked, sending out an explosive Fire attack in the air again, signaling the start of battle. The crowd cheered on.

Axel came at Matt with dual swords and swung for a two-hit combo, but missed. He turned around and there was Matt right behind him. Matt formed a fist and propelled a flying spirit punch right at Axel's crotch. Axel squealed, just as Matt came at him like a reeling fish to a fishing rod and swung!

PSHT! PATHUMP-A-THUM-PATHUM-PATHUMP-A-THUMP-A-THUMP-A-THUMP-A-THUMP-A-THUMP!

The crowd didn't see what was happening when suddenly a bright light overwhelmed the Arena after the series of blows, and everyone finally opened their eyes as it quickly faded. They saw Axel on the ground, unconscious. Worse, his clothes were completely shredded into merely his boxers.

Matt was then seen walking away from the arena with his sword swinging over his shoulder and laid it to rest there.

"Next time, don't call me handsome…" He mumbled.

The crowd remained silence.

"… What just happened?" Mog blinked.

"… I think Matt… won." Vivi blinked.

The two hosts remained silent. And so did the crowd.

xXx

Valerie, Fate, Aria, Jack and Ryuji were now onboard the Airship _Leviathan, _at the Atrium where spectators go about buying snacks for the tourneys, catch-up with the tourneys live on TV, or just to chill and hang out. The group apparently was getting some snacks when they heard the crowd suddenly laughing hysterically after what felt like a moment of silence. They looked up to the TV screen to see the unconscious half-naked Axel being taken away by White Mages Nu Mou and Moogles.

"What happened?" Valerie asked.

"I have no idea." Fate said, shaking her head, she then turned to a Bangaa employee at the snacks counter, "Do you know what happened?"

The Bangaa shrugged, "All I know was that the entire screen just went blurred. And that wasn't even due to technical difficulties." He then left to tend to more customers.

"Must be some sort of special technique." Jack commented, "This Matt guy sure is some mysterious martial swordsman."

The guys went to a nearby table.

"Guys, I'm worried about Kendall and Tina." Valerie commented, changing the subject, "…and James and Carlos and Logan. Where could they be?"

"Don't worry, Val." Aria reassured, "Carlos and James are participants to the tourneys. It's not like they got themselves into major trouble involving the whole situation of the criminals going rogue."

[KUPO! THIS JUST IN! WE JUST GOT A BREAK ON THE PLOTTED ASSASSINATION CASE]

All heads across the Atrium whizzed away from each other's businesses to the TV screen's attention; and dead silence immediately followed to listen to Mog's breaking news.

[IMPERIAL GUARDS FROM GARLEA AND DALMASCA JUST ANNOUNCED THAT FOUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN SUSPICION OF BEING INVOLVED IN THE PLOTTED ASSASSINATION AGAINST OUR LADY QUEEN ASHE AND HER TWO VISITING ROYALS, EMPEROR LARSA AND ARTEMIS]

The Atrium quickly got overwhelmed with cheers and whooping, so did the crowd on the TV screen. But Mog wasn't finished with his report.

[BUT YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS: THESE SUSPECTS HAPPEN TO BE THE ACCLAIMED FOUR WARRIORS OF LIGHTS, AS EACH OF THEM BORE CRYSTAL NECKLACES, SYMBOLIZING THEIR HEROIC DEED! AND YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT AGAIN, TWO OF THESE SUSPECTS ARE ACTUAL PARTICIPANTS OF THIS TOURNEY! PLUS THEY WORKED WITH SKY PIRATES!]

The Atrium and the arena above suddenly got filled with shock and disbelief. But Mog wasn't finished.

[THEIR NAMES: KENDALL KNIGHT, JAMES DIAMOND, CARLOS GARCIA, AND TINA VALEFORT! WHAT ARE THE ODDS PEOPLE! COULD THIS BE A SIGN OF DARK FATES TO COME?]

"Oh my god!" Aria gasped.

"They've been arrested?" Valerie exclaimed, "How could they be arrested?"

"They've been setup. By sky pirates." Ryuji said before facing his comrades, "We gotta do something. Come on!"

The group left their table and foods before they took off.

xXx

Back at the _Leviathan_, the crowd's shocking exclamation over the news quickly turned into jeers and heckling against the accused suspects. Ashe stared in disbelief. Larsa faced her and the silent Emperor Artemis. Noticing the frozen look on her face, he immediately declared.

"Come on, Queen Ashe. You couldn't possibly believe such lie about these fine Warriors of Light actually behind this sick twisted plot, are you?"

She glanced away from the crowd and down the floor for a moment, her eyes now flickering with doubt. She shook her head also.

"Unbelievable." Artemis huffed. He stood up his seat and turned around.

"Your Eminence? Where are you going?" Larsa called out to him just as he was about to step down the steps.

"Out." He said with a cold tone.

"Out?" Larsa then stood up, "You can't go out now. You could still be in trouble!"

"Don't worry about me, Your Eminence." Artemis paused, glanced over his shoulder to stare back at Larsa with one eye corner, "I'll be fine. Rest assured." He then walked out.

The two hosts just noticed the tension around the crowd and the royals. Vivi whispered to Mog, "Should we go on with the show?"

And right on cue, Artemis declared, "The show must go on!"

And the crowd cheered on again. Mog and Vivi smiled, finally ignoring the tension between the royals.

[WELL, WHAT DO YOU KNOW KUPO! THE SHOW IS STILL GOING ON.]

xXx

Down a long-winding hallway filled with prepping chambers, contenders and participants to the tourneys were seen gossiping, reflecting their views on the arrest recently announced.

Vaan was walking past them, when Donga jumped in front of him from out of the blue, stopping his advances. Vaan rolled his eyes.

"Ugh… you again."

"Yeah, pal!" Donga snorted, "Me again! But guess what? I'm not here to fight you! I'm here to settle a score with—!" he paused, noticing someone approaching Vaan from behind. His face turned red, "OY! THERE YOU ARE, Y' LIL PUNK!" He shoved Vaan out of the way to corner the guy who was approaching. It was Matt Salazar.

"Listen, bub!" Donga barked at him, "I don't like bein' dissed on our match-up all right? So you owe me—!"

Matt plugged a finger on Donga's forehead and Donga fainted. He then continued on, brushing right past Vaan like a complete stranger. Vaan watched him, fading into the distant crowd.

"So!"

Vaan jumped. He looked behind him and there they were again: the 012 Warriors! Lightning, Kain, Laguna and Tifa were around him. He rolled his eyes.

"Made a decision yet?" Kain asked him.

"Who cares?" Lightning said, "All I care about is ripping his head off on our next round." She then faced Vaan, "You _do _know that we _are _facing each other on the next round no?"

Vaan scoffed at Lightning, "You don't scare me lady. And speaking of whatever 12th War deal you have on me, it ain't gonna be my business anymore."

The Warriors exchanged gazes before facing Vaan again, "My business now," Vaan went on, "is to find these so-called Warriors of Light and make them pay for what they were planning to do to Queen Ashe and what they did to those poor soldiers and guests last night at the Dinner."

He then pulled out the Wind Crystal from his pocket—the same Crystal he stole from Logan—and carelessly twirled it around by its cord, "And what better way to teach them a lesson than to use this little baby."

The Warriors froze upon noticing the Crystal, "Where did you get that?" Lightning pointed.

Vaan caught the Wind Crystal, stopping its twirling, "Get what?" he said.

"That Crystal, you airhead." Lightning's voice rose, "Where did you get it? It's a simple question."

"In a cave called Non'ya bizness!" Vaan turned around, only to get cornered by Tifa, who snatched the Crystal from his hand. "Hey! Give it back!" Vaan reached out for the Crystal, but Tifa held him in position with her palm pressed over his forehead as she examined the Crystal with her free hand, "It's a Wind Crystal! And on a gold chain, it may very well belong to someone _verrrry _important." She said.

"Yeah! It does! And it's me!" Vaan snapped, "Now give it back!"

Tifa flung the Crystal into the air and Laguna caught it midflight. "HEY!" Vaan turned to Laguna, but Kain restrained him.

"Y'right. It _does_ belong to someone." Laguna said, "Like a little Warrior of Light perhaps?"

"Logan Mitchell's Wind Crystal." Lightning responded before grabbing Vaan by the collar part of his vest, "What did you do to Logan?"

"Who's Logan?" Vaan asked.

"The guy whom you stole this Crystal from, you idiot!"

"Hey, it ain't my fault that he bumped into me and dropped this Crystal to my hand!" Vaan played innocent, "And besides, I was gonna give it back but he was gone in a matter of second—!" Lightning dragged Vaan with her, walking past the staring contenders. The other Warriors followed behind. "—HEY! Where are you taking me?" Vaan struggled to break free.

"To find Logan and give his Crystal back like you promised." Lightning replied, "But rest assured, if the kid's in danger, it's on your head."

"Would you at least let me go, damn it? Or easy on the vest!"

Just as the heroes faded into distance, two heads popped out of nowhere. It was the two gunners from before. The ones who framed the heroes for the plot. They spotted Donga, still unconscious, and began to drag him away from the watching contenders by his feet.

xXx

Finally alone, in a grand secluded area that looked like a wine cellar, the two gunners stopped dragging Donga. The light-haired gunner—the Illusionist—cast a Deluge Water Spell. The whole chamber turned dark and a downpour fell onto the group, soaking them all wet. Donga leapt off from his unconsciousness and shook his head violently, water splattering everywhere.

"Aww… What the heck is that?" Donga barked at the light-haired gunner.

"You know you could have just punched him awake, pal." The dark-haired gunner complained at his comrades.

Donga gave the dark-haired gunner a cold glare, "Watch it, fool!"

Footsteps echoed across the chamber. The two gunners and Donga looked up to watch Teej approaching them. But he wasn't alone. Balthier and Fran were with him. And so were Luso and the red hooded figure Lil'. They casually gathered around the two gunners and Donga who, due to his heavyweight, struggled to stand onto his feet.

"Well, well, well." Teej grinned haughtily, "What fabulous performance you just did my fellow criminals. But next time, you wanna frame someone, try framing nobodies and not popular heroes why don't you."

"Hey! You wanted it to happen, pal!" Donga barked at Teej, "We find these Four Warriors of Light and we trap them!"

"And by trap, we mean, we _catch_ them. Not frame them." Balthier replied, "We need to get their Crystals as soon as possible in order to bring back the Thirteenth Crystal, and coming up with this idea of assassination plot was the only way to draw them into this world."

"Go figure." Fran replied with an eye-roll.

"Yeah!" Teej said, "Now how will the Eminence respond to this little twist of fate now?"

"HE…!" the bark of an unknown figure caused the sky pirates to jump, "…will be very, very…" the figure revealed himself underneath the wine cellar's light: Artemis!

"…very…angry." He finished his sentence, rage burned in his eyes.

The two gunners removed their masks to reveal their faces.

"Your Eminence, can we explain?" The blonde gunner asked gingerly.

"Yeah, can we please explain…?" the dark-haired gunner added.

"No need to explain, Biggs and Wedge." The Emperor called them respectively, "You had a mission to fulfill and that was to capture these Warriors and steal their Crystals. Not run the other way."

Biggs and Wedge tried to speak but Artemis interrupted, "And no, I don't care if they've come across the bloody letter of assassination and they had someone with them to decipher somebody's oh-not-so-unfamiliar's handwriting." He then glanced over the red hooded girl, "…Lil'"

"What?" the angry female voice of Lil' broke from under the red-hood. The enigmatic figure pulled the hood off to reveal her face. She had blond hair with red highlights, looked very young, with a babyface facial structure. She pulled out the red hood to reveal a red Spellblade outfit with fluffy white collar, matching red trousers, and white high heels.

"I did NOT get paid to have my handwriting being recognized, Your Eminence!" she then glowered at the two gunners, "Who on this freaking earth would have my handwriting recognized?"

Artemis smirked, "How about someone by the name of Tina Valefort?"

Lil' froze up.

"Ring any bells? Or cat got your tongue?" Artemis snidely remarked.

"Okay, so what are we going to do now," Luso said, "now that our plan just went from fruitful to being spoiled?"

Artemis turned to face Donga and the two gunners, "You two." He said, "Get that Everburn from Vaan." He then turned to face the rest of the group, "And you make sure these foolish Warriors still stay in their cell. The assassination plot will still go on."

Balthier, Fran, Luso, and Lil' glanced at each other in disbelief. Luso stepped in, "Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa… now wait a second here, Artemis. I understand your sick twisted plot to foil an assassination plot to draw the Warriors of Light in to steal their Crystals, but the plan here was to get their Crystals to form the Thirteenth Crystal and to avoid bloodshed. Now you wanna go on with the plot?"

"Buddy, please!" interrupted Teej, "Little respect for the man here? And little reputation for me to uphold?"

"Who cares about reputation?" Luso argued, "These Four Warriors are bad news to the world. I understand that. And the Prophecy of Darkness says so. But what we're doing here is just pure evil. You know what? I'm outta here." He turned on his heels and started walking.

"Hey, where are you going?" Lil' called out to Luso.

"Dropping out of this whole operation." Luso replied, "And the Tourneys as well. I'm not gonna take part of something that will mess up my conscience."

The Emperor pointed a finger at Luso "HOLD it right there!" he barked.

Luso froze on his feet.

"Turn around." The Emperor ordered with a finger beckoning and Luso obediently turned around to face the imperial ruler.

"Step forward." The Emperor said again, beckoning his finger, and Luso stepped forward. Everyone watched in amazement. It was as if the Emperor had some mind-control over the young squire.

The Emperor's face hovered closely to Luso as he looked him in the eye and whispered harshly enough to be heard.

"First and foremost, your conscience is very easy to mess up. Second of all, you shall refer to me as your Eminence and nothing more. And _third_ of all, no one turns their back on me when I want something. And what I want is for this operation to go flawlessly. The Thirteenth Crystal must be uprooted and it is not going to happen without ALL…" he briefly glanced across the room and the sky pirates, "…of your assistance."

The sky pirates all stood silence.

"So unless you're signing your death contract, you will stay with me and me only, and you will do as I say to bring down these heroes and kill these royals. Do I make myself clear?"

Luso robotically nodded his head.

"Good." Artemis moved away from Luso to face the remaining group, "And let this be a lesson to all of you who tries to defy me. Or even think about defying me."

Everyone nodded their heads as well.

"The Thirteenth Crystal must come to fruition. And in order to do that, we must kill these royals and all of these Warriors of Light."

The Emperor paused, tugged his palm forward and a beam of light exploded in midair to reveal an image. It was that of Logan. And the mysterious ninja who is still lurking behind him.

"Oh, and would you look at that." Artemis smirked, "…looks like our dear old Ewen is about to give our Fourth Warrior of Light his justdessert."

Balthier cocked his head on one side, "Wait, I don't get it. How is he a Warrior of Light when he doesn't have a Crystal around his neck?"

xXx

Logan stared around the waterway. There were so many gushing waterfalls and thousand of corridors spreading out before him, he had lost his direction.

"Aw man… how am I going to find Daiswai now that I'm lost?"

Logan heard walking… no, running feet making quick and heavy splat sounds on the watery ground and it was coming from behind him.

He quickly whirled around and once again collided with another person!

He tumbled backward and to his back, "Aaggh… man!" He grunted in pain "Second time this week! This is just like Prom!"

He looked up to see it was Chocolate! Chocolate noticed Logan and immediately jumped back to its talons and cried out, "KWOGAN! KWOGAN! KWWEEEK!"

"Oh hey Chocolate!" Logan smiled. But the distressed Chocobo continued to squeal, flapping its wings in urgent madness.

"KWAAAK! SQUWWWAWK SQAWK SQAWK SQAWK SQAWK SQAWK! KWAAAAK! SQUWWWAWK SQAWK SQAWK SQAWK SQAWK SQAWK! KWAAAAK! KWWWEEEH! KWEEEEEH!"

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa…! Chocolate!" Logan stood up, "Calm down man! Calm down!" he grabbed onto Kendall's Crystal necklace around Chocolate to hold the Chocobo at bay. Chocolate immediately calmed down. It was then that Logan noticed the Crystal necklace on his hand.

"Kendall's Crystal." He whispered before facing Chocolate, "…what's going on, man? Tell me. And slower this time."

Chocolate moved his beak close to Logan's ears and whispered. Upon hearing Chocolate's story, Logan gasped and jumped back in shock.

"Kendall, James, Carlos and Tina got framed for an attempted assassination against the Queen and her visiting Royal guests?"

Chocolate nodded quickly.

"And you're saying that they are being held in Rabanastre Royal dungeon, while the real criminals are still roaming free, ready to unleash their evil deed on the Royals?"

Chocolate nodded furiously.

Logan stared, his eyes flickering in fear, "This is worse than I thought. And here I am trying to find a missing scholar when my friends are in danger. What kind of a friend am I?"

Chocolate blinked, "uuuuhhh… I'dunno…"

Logan turned to face Chocolate again, "We gotta get to them before we're too late."

"You _are_ too late." A voice echoed across the waterway. Logan and Chocolate looked around.

"What was that?"

A loud slam on the watery ground startled the duo from behind. "WHOA!" Logan and Chocolate jumped back. There was Ewen, the stalking ninja face-to-face with his opponent.

"Who are you?" Logan asked, feeling uneasy.

"Your worst nightmare." Ewen whispered before throwing an upward sweeping kick at Logan. Logan jumped back. He then threw another sweeping kick downward and Logan jumped over it. The ninja then followed with a Shuriken toss, which Logan dodged, Matrix-style.

"SQWWAAAAWWWK!" Chocolate charged toward the Ninja. Ewen back-flipped over Chocolate, but like a gymnast he grabbed hold onto Chocolate's neck and raised his feet up in the air while his hands remained in support to the Chocobo's neck. He then descended from behind, his feet landed on the ground and with his hands still onto Chocolate's neck; he pulled the Chocobo out from the ground and tossed him farther. Chocolate landed right onto a wall.

"Chocolate!" Logan tried to run to the Chocobo, but Ewen stopped him with his knife before him. "Stay right where you are."

Logan quickly threw a sweep kick, knocking the knife off Ewen's hand. The ninja startled. Logan proceeded with forward punches but Ewen blocked each blow with his lower arms. He then threw a spinning side kick but Ewen suddenly vanished before Logan's eyes, startling him, then with a battle cry descended onto him with a dagger slam. Logan jumped back nimbly dodging the blow. Logan quickly reached for his Crystal… only to notice that it was gone!

"What?"

"GRAAAAAAWWL!" Ewen charged with flying Spin Hook Kicks, catching Logan off balance with such a rush, he went to the watery floor.

He was now at the mercy of the mysterious ninja. Ewen pulled out yet another blade and raised it up.

"You're finished." He muttered, and descended his blade onto his opponent. But before he could land a stab, two feet slammed hard on his neck, knocking him down. Logan watched Kain on top of his stalker, striking his signature pose.

He quickly shuffled backward out of the way for Kain to shove the stalking ninja against a nearby wall and held him at bay with his lance.

"Leave while you still have your head." He threateningly whispered.

"Graaaawwl!" The Ninja swung his blade, knocking Kain's lance out of his way. Kain leapt backward. Ewen charged again, this time at Kain, furiously swinging his blade across his obstacle. Kain easily danced away every hit. He then jumped back, twirled his lance around, and with a thrust delivered his Dragoon's Fang attack, impaling Ewen right in the heart. Ewen froze. His blade left his grasp and his arms flopped down. Logan couldn't believe his eyes.

Kain pulled his lance off Ewen, and right before the bleeding dying ninja could hit the ground, Kain threw a back flip kick at him, launching him into the air. Logan watched the ninja vanishing into the darkness, before staring back at Kain. Kain stabbed his lance to the ground, clapped his hands as if the job was done and crossed his arms.

"You…" Logan blinked, "…you saved me."

"Nope." another voice caught his attention. It was the rest of the group alongside Vaan. And it was Laguna who just spoke.

"We all did." He replied, "You could've been a goner if it wasn't for us."

Tifa noticed Chocolate on the ground, "Oh no! Your poor Chocobo." She rushed up to his aid "Is he okay?"

"Grrroooaaans…" Chocolate muttered.

"I believe _this _is what you're looking for?" Lightning waved to Logan his Wind Crystal.

"My Crystal."

Lightning dropped it to his hands. Logan stared back at Lightning, "Where did you find it?"

"Oh, I didn't find it." Lightning then pushed Vaan in front of Logan. "_He _did. Never returned it."

Logan immediately recognized him, "…wait. You're that dude who bumped into me!"

Vaan shrugged carelessly, "Yeah. So?"

"Apparently he stole your Crystal." Kain said, "Thought he could make a fortune out of it."

"What?" Logan was appalled.

"Hey, I did NOT steal it!" Vaan cried out innocently, "For the last time, I was gonna take it… give it back!"

"Oh really Vaan?" The group heard Penelo's voice nearby. She angrily approached her brotherly pal and closed in on him, "You were gonna give it back! Like you were gonna give back the pouch you stole from these guards? That's so typically sky pirating of you."

"Hey, that was three years ago. Long time, good times, remember?" Vaan argued.

"Guys, can we like reminisce the good times later?" Logan said, "Kendall, James, Carlos and Tina got framed for an upcoming crime they haven't and will never commit! And we need to bust them out of there!"

"…we know." Laguna said, "It's all over the news. And the reaction from the crowd is really bad."

"Of course it's bad. They're innocent."

"And how do _you_ know that exactly?" Vaan argued with Logan, "When you're one of them, a freed accomplice? You guys were planning to kill Ashe for crying out loud!"

"Why on Earth will we even DO that?" Logan argued back, "We're like the coolest people on the planet we wouldn't even hurt a fly, but rather free a _colony_ of them! In a city! At Rocque Records! It's _you_ and _your accomplices_ who frame them into this, a sky pirate!"

Vaan hesitated, "Yeah, but I'm one of the good ones!"

Logan rolled his eyes, "Sure. Tell it to the Wind Crystal you stole from me."

"Okay guys," Laguna said, "I think we can all establish that Vaan stole from you and the rest of the Warriors got framed."

Vaan rolled his eyes and scoffed.

Lightning then added, "But if we don't move out and get the rest of the Warriors freed…!"

"The Royals will be as good as dead." Kain muttered.

"We gotta press on!" Penelo exclaimed.

"Back to Rabanastre sister!" Tifa shouted out, "We got a rescue mission to fulfill!" And the whole party took off.

xXx

Back at the _Leviathan, _the crowd was still cheering wildly.

[KUPO! WELL-A-COME BACK TO THE 12TH ANNUAL IVALICE SKY TOURNEYS! THE BATTLES ARE STILL HAPPENING AND BOY! ARE THEY HOT!]

Warriors and princes took on the arena, swinging axes and swords at each other. Monks and berserkers pinned one another to the ground and threw flurries of blows and uppercuts all around. Magicians and Bards cast out magic and musical notes, enchanting each other into utter defeat. The tourneys have now reached its climax.

Jack, Ryuji and the Magick Sisters reached the arena benches. They looked over the arena to see Balthier and Fran making their entrance for their next battle.

"No sign of them." Ryuji concluded.

"Obviously." Jack replied, "They were arrested. They ain't gonna be on the ship."

"Then we gotta find a way to get out of the ship." Aria said, and the gang took off. Meanwhile, Balthier and Fran gazed across the cheering crowd.

"Well, it looks like the crowd is anticipating quite a lovely performance." Balthier said before facing Fran with a smirk on his face, "You ready?"

Fran sternly looked on, "I was born ready."

He pulled out his gun and she pulled out her bow and arrows. They leapt from the ground and went at each other.

xXx

Chocolate, Vaan, Penelo, Logan and the 012 warriors finally reached Dalmasca's Southern Plaza. Looking around the large mass of citizens going around their businesses, they looked desperate.

"Where's the dungeon exactly?" Laguna asked.

"Which dungeon?" Vaan asked, " 'cuz there is a lot of dungeons here in this Royal City: the Royal dungeon, the dungeon by the fortress…!"

"The dungeon where they are keeping Kendall, James, Tina and Carlos." Logan clarified.

"Yeah… that could probably be the Royal Dungeon."

"All right, you go to the Royal Dungeon." Lightning ordered Vaan, Penelo, Logan and Chocolate, "As for the rest of us, we're gonna board the Airship."

"Why?" Vaan raised an eyebrow.

"To keep an eye on the Royals, of course." Tifa replied, "And don't forget we're part of the tourneys too! So, come on."

And the warriors took their leaves, leaving Vaan, Penelo, Chocolate and Logan behind.

"Wh-HEY!" Vaan exclaimed, "I'm part of the Tourneys too, y'know? What am I, chopped liver?"

"Oh, stop whining, Vaan." Penelo said, "We have innocent people to bust out of jail."

"And you're the only one who can help." Logan said to him, "Now let's go."

xXx

It was a long winding corridor down the many dungeons of the Rabanastre Royal Dungeon for two soldiers on watch. But they were getting closer and closer to their chosen target: the dungeon to the farthest right of the corridor.

They closed in onto the cell and flew its door open. "You!"

Kendall, James, Carlos and Tina looked up.

"Yeah, you!" The first soldier who sounded feminine spoke with a commanding thunderous tone in her voice, "Y'all free to go."

"Or let's just say that we, and we alone, are setting you free," said the second soldier who sounded more masculine.

The heroes stood up and suspiciously approached the two soldiers.

"What's the catch?" Carlos spoke first.

"On what ground?" Kendall added.

"Any conditions?" James wondered.

"What's there in return?" Tina raised an eyebrow.

The two soldiers looked at each other then back at the heroes. They shrugged, "Nothing."

The heroes blinked.

"Just make sure no one sees you." The masculine soldier said before pulling out a map from under his pants and quickly unfolded it, "Follow these signs on the map and you'll be outta here in no time." the soldier shoved the map to Kendall's chest and pushed him out of the jail. He and the other soldier proceeded to push the rest of the group out, "Now go."

"Okay…" James spoke, "…I don't know if this is a joke or anything but…"

A stream of fire shot out from the second soldier's finger, and struck the ground near the heroes' feet, startling them. "OW! Whoa!"

"Why are you asking too much questions?" More fire shot spew out of the soldier's finger like fireworks, making the heroes jump and dance on their feet and quickly backing them out of the jail, "get outta here man! And stop asking questions! We're freeing you and that's all that matters! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!"

The heroes took off running out to their left.

"OTHER WAY!" the two soldiers cried out and the heroes turned around and went the other direction.

The moment the heroes disappeared, the two soldiers pulled out their helmets to reveal their faces: Luso and Lil'!

"Great teamwork huh?" Luso cheerfully said to Lil'.

"Going behind the Dark Emperor's back like that?" Lil' smirked, whispering, "I like it. Now let's go." Lil' grabbed Luso's arm and pulled him out of the prison; together they fled.

xXx

Back at the _Leviathan, _Balthier kept firing his guns at Fran who kept dodging every bullet at swift speed. Balthier then pulled out a carabine and fired multiple shots. The bullets flew across Fran like rain, but Fran breezed through them all. The bullets didn't even reach her as they kept bouncing off her like she was enveloped by a shield.

She leapt forward Balthier with two daggers, ready to strike.

_BEEEEP! BEEEEEP! BEEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEEP! BEEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEEP! BEEEEEP! BEEEEP!_

Infrared light suddenly started flicking on and off followed by a strident alarming shriek, alerting the entire crowd on the ship. Balthier and Fran stopped fighting.

[KUPO?] Mog blinked, [WHAT'S GOING ON?]

Vivi shook her head, [I don't know. I…!]

_WARNING WARNING! CODE RED! CODE RED!_

The crowd began to panic. Once again, Jack, Ryuji and the Magick Sisters rejoined the arena benches with the crowd once again, staring across the now panicky arena.

"Code Red?" Valerie blinked, "Fire?"

"No. Security breach." Ryuji replied, looking on to the crowd who were very afraid and were exchanging words of fear and panic.

Ashe got off her throne seat and so did Larsa. "Everyone please." Ashe called out her people, trying to calm them down, "Settle down! Our imperial soldiers are on the case! There's nothing to wo—!"

The _Leviathan _suddenly and violently rocked. The crowd grabbed on each other and their benches for support, for they almost lost their balance. A strong wind began to pick up and the sky suddenly glowed orange. It was just by that revelation that the people began to fear the worst.

[OH MY KUPO! EVERYONE, PLEASE BRACE YOURSELVES! BRACE YOURSELVES! WE'RE ENTERING A MIST ZONE!]

The _Leviathan _began to pick up speed, forcing the strong wind to be more violent and inevitable. People still tried to hold on to their supports, but some weren't strong enough or were unable to. Everyone went on screaming as the wind began to pick up its victims one-by-one into the twirling skies. Ashe and Larsa quickly went to their seats and tried to hold themselves steady also. But because Larsa was frail and young, his throne couldn't withstand the force of the winds and it suddenly left its floor and took off from the arena alongside him.

"LARSA NO!" Ashe screamed, reaching her arm out toward Larsa but was too late. She couldn't reach him. But then, Balthier grabbed onto Larsa from the back and together they landed on the ground. They watched his throne departing into the twister-like orange skies. Fran and Basch quickly joined in and together held firmly onto Ashe's throne, while at the same time holding onto it for support. Balthier quickly went to a nearby wall and forced himself into position from the winds, still tightly holding onto Larsa, and not letting go.

"You're okay, your Highness?" Balthier shouted out at him to the winds.

"I'm fine!" Larsa cried out. "But you're hurting me, Balthier!"

"Would you rather be sucked into the misty skies?"

Larsa was silent for a while, "Carry on!"

"What's going on?" Ashe shouted, "Who broke into the ship?"

"The criminals!" Fran replied, "And we know exactly who they are."

xXx

Back at the Rabanastre Royal Dungeon, the heroes turned down one corner of its long winding hallway. Tina was in the lead, carrying on the map.

"Okay, where exactly are we going?" asked James.

Tina stared at the map, inspecting its details to the exit,

"Apparently we're going around." She concluded before she frustratingly ruffled up the map, "DAMN IT! These two soldiers tricked us! There's apparently NO exit here! This place is a labyrinth!"

"Then what are we gonna do?" James shouted, "If we don't go up the airship in time, it'll be too late for the two royals!"

"I know it'll be too late for the Royals!" Tina argued, "Don't you think I know that?"

"Apparently, you don't." Kendall said.

Tina glared, not amused, "Okay you know what?" she shoved the map back to Kendall, "You read it!"

"I already read it! It's a dead-end!"

"Then you know where I come from!"

"From a dead-end!" Carlos joked, only to be hit by James on the stomach.

"I thought you'd handle this beautifully!" Kendall argued, "Considering you coming from the Final Fantasy while WE are coming from Minnesota and Hollywood!"

"Oh would you stop talking about Minnesota and Hollywood like it's such a pretty place?" Tina snapped, "You make it sound like being in Cocoon and not living there for so long!"

"HEY!" James was now offended, "Hollywood IS pretty!"

And before long the heroes began to argue; they were losing sight of their objectives. Logan, Vaan, Penelo and Chocolate showed up just in time to watch them going at each other.

"Uhh, guys?" Logan called out but no reply. He tried again, "Guyyys…" Nothing. "HEY, guys!"

Tina and the guys briefly turned to Logan and shouted, "NOT NOW, LOGAN!", then they went back to arguing.

Logan, Penelo, Vaan and Chocolate exchanged glances. Vaan had his hands coolly resting on his head as usual. "Do they always argue like that?" Vaan asked Logan who simply shrugged.

Tina and the guys stopped arguing. There was complete utter silence. They whirled their heads toward the other group, finally focusing on Logan and Chocolate among them.

"LOGAN!" The guys cheerfully went to their friend, hugging and squeezing him tight. Especially Carlos.

"I missed you so much buddy!" he squealed.

"Yeah, yeah…" Logan tried to shove Carlos off him, "…appreciate the gesture, now LET GO! You're choking me!"

"CHOCOLATE!" Tina squealed, and just like Carlos to Logan, she was squeezing her Chocobo hard and tight, "MY LIL' COCOA! I COULDN'T HARDLY LIVE WITHOUT YOU!"

"QUWWWEEK… KWWOO!" Chocolate barked, struggling from Tina's hard grasp.

"Aww… what little family we have here." Penelo squealed before facing Vaan, "…eeep! It just makes me wanna…!" Penelo approached Vaan with open arms, only to get shoved away by him. "HEY! Watch it! I'm not your little squeeze toy."

"I can't believe you guys got yourself in trouble!" Logan angrily snapped at his friends, "I told you not to get yourself into trouble!" Logan and Chocolate then sniffed, frowned, "And why do we smell like pee?"

Carlos and Tina guiltily backed away.

"Oh?" James snapped back at Logan, "And _you _didn't get yourself into trouble?"

Logan was about to protest when he stopped, hesitating over his ordeal down the waterway, "…okay maybe a little…but it was HIS fault!" Logan pointed at Vaan, "He stole my Crystal!"

Tina, Kendall, James and Carlos looked on, stunned, "What?"

Vaan rolled his eyes, "Okay, we're back into that again?"

"C'mon guys! It's a long story." Penelo said, all-smiley.

"A long painful story…" Vaan drawled.

"And he's really sorry." Penelo said, stepping back, "But now we know who the real criminals are, and we need to get to them before—!"

Penelo felt someone behind her. All heads turned to her direction at the sound of footsteps and all saw the two gunners Biggs and Wedge, grabbing Penelo from behind. "HEY! Let… g—! Mphh!" Biggs' hand went over her mouth and his arm over her neck, restraining her from screaming and struggling.

"Penelo!" Vaan shouted.

"You guys aren't going anywhere." Biggs said with a smirk on his face.

"You two!" Carlos angrily snapped at the two gunners.

"You played tricks on us!" James said, "But this time, it's not gonna happen!"

"Because it's eight of us, against the two of you now." Tina said.

"Really?" a voice spoke. The heroes looked around until they saw two enigmatic figures stepping forward to join the two gunners. The figures revealed themselves as Teej and Donga. Teej had his hands proudly resting on his hips. At the sight of Donga, Vaan jumped back, startled. But at the sight of Teej, the Big Time Rush guys almost lost their balance, staring in utter shock.

"You…" Vaan said to Donga, "You were behind this?"

"All I want is my Everburn bum." Donga pulled out his dagger and pointed at Vaan, "And you stole it from me."

"Jett?" Kendall exclaimed, "Jett… Stetson?"

Vaan, Tina, and Chocolate faced Kendall. Penelo looked on marveled. So did Teej and Donga.

"You know him?" Vaan asked Kendall, pointing at Teej.

"Jett?" Teej raised an eyebrow, before a smirk appeared on his lips and said haughtily, "Call me Teej! Sir Teej of Jylland, the leading man! And greatest sky pirate in the entire world."

Silence.

James whispered to the guys, "Same haughty bastard from before..." the guys nodded in agreement.

"Leading man huh?" Vaan crossed his arms, "Wonder where you get that from?"

Kendall shook his head, "…whatever man. You look like Jett!"

"True that." The guys collectively agreed, before exchanging brief words.

"And I've ALWAYS hated Jett!" Kendall added back.

"Who's Jett?" Tina asked again, still puzzled.

"Some guy who tried to steal Kendall's girlfriend." Logan replied.

"Really?" Tina blinked before facing Teej again, "…well, for a woman-stealer he sure looks hot."

"HEY!" Kendall jealously stepped in front of Tina, "I will NOT tolerate someone as beautiful as you, calling a loser like Jett… or Teej… or whatever his name is in this world, a hot guy! Okay? _I'm_ HAWT!" he then turned to Teej and approached, "And YOU need to—!"

Teej and the two gunners pulled out their guns and Donga moved his dagger inches toward Penelo's neck, restraining her now. Penelo gasped. The gunners aimed their guns at the heroes, preventing Kendall from taking another step.

"—NOT take one more step forward." Teej said threateningly, "…or I swear it's gonna be, bye-bye-bye, to y'all-y'all-y'all."

Kendall slowly stepped back. Teej grinned, "That's right. Back off. And let us do all our dirty work."

"Oh my god…" Tina breathed, "…you're admitting it. It really is you. You're the ones who slaughtered these soldiers at the Official Dinner along with the other guests as a warning. And you're the same ones who are planning to kill Ashe, Larsa and Artemis! It was all you!"

"We won't stand by and let you hurt another person!" James said, "You can't stop us!"

"YEAAAHH!" everyone collectively agreed.

"Maybe they can't…" the bark of Artemis once again caused the sky pirates to jump, including everyone else. And once again he stepped out of the shadow to face the heroes with a serious look on his face. "But _I…_ can."

Everyone stared back at the Dark Emperor. "…the Emperor…" Carlos whimpered. "…His Majesty's here to rescue us…"

"…or get himself _killed_." Logan whispered dramatically.

"Release her." Artemis commanded Donga without even looking at him. Donga quickly obeyed and let go off Penelo. Penelo stumbled back and quickly went to her comrades.

"And get out of my face."

Donga took off in a hurry. The heroes smiled, relieved to see someone on their sides boldly going against the enemies… let alone an Emperor. One of the Royals who were gonna get assassinated.

The Emperor then faced Teej, "And you…"

Teej looked back.

"…you have a task to fulfill. Go carry it."

The smiles and expressions of hope quickly faded from the heroes once they heard the Emperor say these words.

"Of course I have a task to fulfill." Teej grinned, "Sadly for you, Your Eminence, I'm not going to carry it."

Artemis frowned, but that didn't stop Teej from continuing to talk, "Why…? Because I am Sir Teej of Jylland! The leading man. And greatest sky pirate in the entire world. And I answer from no one."

It was then that Teej aimed his gun at Artemis and was ready to shoot. The heroes screamed, "LOOK OUT!"

Artemis drew his finger forward Teej and immediately lightning bolt shot out from its tip and struck the sky pirate. The sky pirate let go off his gun and trembled at the mercy of the flashing lightning bolt, enticing him into a full-blown electrocution and spewing its sparks all across the dungeon. The lightning vanished. The Dark Emperor and everyone else watched Teej's body, completely smoked-out and barbequed from the electric shock stuttering on its large legs before it landed on the ground in a massive crash that echoed the dungeon. Everyone gazed on.

"…you're welcome." Artemis blew on his magicked finger.

Everyone looked away from the dead sky pirate to face Artemis. Artemis glared back. He then moved his head near the two gunners Biggs and Wedge. They quickly took off without flinching.

Penelo crouched before Teej's charred body and examined it. Eyes almost filled up in tears, "He's… he's dead."

"What did you do to him?" Tina glared back at the Emperor.

"And what such a great honor to meet the rest of the group." Artemis sinisterly smiled, "All Four Destiny's Warriors together under one roof: Kendall Knight, James Diamond, Carlos Garcia, and Logan Mitchell… if I'm correct."

The guys glanced surprisingly at each other then back at the Emperor.

"Wait…" Carlos began, "You know _our_ names." He pointed at James and himself, "…how come you know _their _names?" he pointed at Logan and Kendall.

There was a chilling moment of silence. Everyone looked freaked out as the Emperor spread a smirk from a corner of his lips.

"…who are you?"

"Someone." The Emperor smirked, shrugged with one shoulder, "Anyone… really. Or perhaps…" he stepped forward and then vanished, startling the guys. He then reappeared behind James like a ghost, "…nobody."

"AAAAHH!" James jumped back, so did everyone else.

Artemis reappeared again, "But perhaps, you know someone else." He wrapped his fingers together, "Someone you were willing to die just to find… someone like a scholar perhaps?" His fingers unwrapped and he opened his palms up to reveal an hourglass. The hourglass was ghostly, brimming in light and gently hovering inches from his palms. But inside the hourglass was a person… a Nu Mou. And everyone, especially Logan recognized him. "Daiswai!"

Logan went for the hourglass but Artemis clasped his hands together and the hourglass vanished before Logan could reach it. Artemis then placed a finger to Logan's forehead and Logan froze, his brown eyes suddenly turned dull and dark as if out of space… in a trance… and his body emitted a fluorescent red glow. Everyone cried out, "LOGAN!"

Artemis moved his fingers off Logan and said, "Don't worry about your friend; I just turned him into my little pawn. And additionally I just restored his magical powers. Y'know? The ones he lost back at the Labyrinth of Time. You remember? The Labyrinth? Where you turned yourselves into the Dark Side? Yeah… it's the best of both worlds."

"What?" Kendall gasped.

"Look upon your shoulders." Artemis ordered. The heroes shuffled their shirt sleeves up, scared and curious at the same time. It was then that Kendall, James and Carlos stared at strange symbols tattooed on their upper shoulders.

"…and gaze upon the Mark of the l'Cie." Artemis finished.

Everyone stared at these tattoos—or Mark of the l'Cie—to their horrors, especially Tina who couldn't stop gazing at it. It was as if her worst nightmare was coming true.

"Welcome to the Dark Side, Warriors of Darkness." Artemis briefly chuckled before he frowned, "But you're not leaving this place alive."

The Emperor tugged his palm forward and a beam of light exploded in midair to reveal an image: the image of the _Leviathan _rocking violently into the orange skies and thrashing winds, and everyone else screaming for their lives.

"In just a couple of hours, Ashe and Larsa will die, leaving behind something that I hold very dear to my heart: their Holy Hearts. Balthier and Fran will carry on the execution process, while you, Warriors of Light will die by my hands… err… I mean, by your _friend's_ magical hands. So y'all are not leaving… until I get what I want from all of you: your death."

Artemis laughed evilly on cue as Possessed Logan raised his hands in the air, jolts of magic practically dancing at his fingertips and his possessed eyes locked on his targets. The heroes looked back, stunned, lost, betrayed… …

* * *

**Things are heating up on _Big Time Ivalice_!**

**Next time**

_-Emperor of Garlea Artemis has been behind the assassination plot all this time. _

_His only desire: the elimination of the Four Warriors of Light, and the revival of the Crystal many legendaries have fear the most: The Thirteenth Crystal._

_With Ashe and Larsa unknowingly at the mercy of Balthier and Fran inside an out-of-control Leviathan, and the mysterious Nu Mou Daiswai locked inside the dark emperor's magic, this finale to the 12th Annual Sky Tourneys is about to be one major explosion you will never forget._

_How will our heroes stop the assassination plot? And how will they save everyone on the ship? Will Artemis ever be stopped?_

* * *

**_The final chapter to the three-part event is up next ... on Carlos's birthday!_**

**~Big Time Ivalice (part 3)~**


	11. Ep9: Big Time Ivalice pt3

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

A/N: Today marks Carlos's birthday! He may be the shortest member of the group, but guess what? He's 22 this year AND the oldest. Happy B-Day Carlos!

Now onto the final part of the chapter!

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Ep.9: __Big Time Ivalice (part 3)__**-**_

* * *

_Last time on Big Time Final Fantasy – Big Time Ivalice,_

_Big Time Rush found themselves in a new world called Ivalice, celebrating its 12th Annual Sky Tourneys. But behind the celebration was brewing a dark plot to assassinate the Queen Ashe of Dalmasca and her two visiting Emperors Larsa of Archadia and Artemis of Garlea._

_Kendall, James, Carlos, and Tina got in the middle of the dark plot and were sent to a Dalmascan prison after being set up by the criminals themselves: sky pirates!_

_Chocolate narrowly escaped the prison to find Logan, who was searching for a missing Nu Mou scholar at the time._

_Logan teamed up with Chocolate, along with Lightning and the Warriors of Light of the 12th Cycle who rescued him from one of the sky pirates ninjas. The Warriors also helped him recover his Wind Crystal stolen from him by Vaan, a young sky pirate who claimed to be on the good side and had connection with the 12th Cycle. Penelo, a friend of Vaan also joined the group to keep an eye on him._

_Logan and the group returned to Dalmasca but decided to split up; as the Warriors of the 12th Cycle chose to breach into the airship to stop the assassination plot, while Logan and the rest of the group decided to break into the prison to free their friends. _

_But then in a sudden twist the heroes came across the sky pirates and the mastermind behind the assassination plot: the Emperor of Garlea Artemis himself! The Dark Emperor's goal was to use the heroes and kill the royals in order to acquire the Thirteenth Crystal, a mysterious artifact feared by many across the Final Fantasy. He also revealed to the heroes that they now possess darkness within, as a key element to end the war in Chaos' favor. Proving just that, he took control of Logan's darkness and plots to destroy the heroes with his powers. _

_Will the heroes free their friend from the Emperor's dark possession? Will our heroes stop the Emperor and the sky pirates from killing two innocent rulers and unleashing hell on the world of Ivalice? And what will be the fate of the world under the heroes' darkness and the mysterious Thirteenth Crystal that is feared by many?_

_Thus begins the exciting conclusion to this epic 3-part mystery event of the summer…_

**Ep.9 – Big Time Ivalice (Part 3)**

"In just a couple of hours, Ashe and Larsa will die, leaving behind something that I hold very dear to my heart: their Holy Hearts." Emperor Artemis glanced back at the image he had conjured up in the air.

The gang stood by, horrified at that image. It was the _Leviathan. _The airship was traversing a violent mist storm and was rocked back and forth like a shaken snowglobe. Everyone on board the ship screamed, striving to hold their balance against the violent wind, but the wind effortlessly plucked them from their roots one-by-one.

"Balthier and Fran will carry on the execution process…" the Emperor pointed at the two sky pirates in the picture; in the same room as Ashe and Larsa. Vaan and Penelo stared numbly at them, "…while you…" the Emperor went on, "…Warriors of Light will die by my hands…"

He paused, briefly staring at Logan besides him. "I mean, by your _friend's_ magical hands."

Kendall, James and Carlos stared back at their friend Logan. Logan raised his hands in the air, jolts of magic practically dancing at his fingertips. His magic has been restored. They came back to him since the day he lost them back at the Labyrinth of Time.

But Logan was not himself.

His brown lively eyes were now dull and spaced-out. The reddish aura that embraced his entire body suddenly turned black as the blackest sky and so did the dull pupils of his eyes. His smooth delicate skin turned rough and arid, and the magic dancing upon his fingers cascaded and unleashed thunderstorms across the hall.

The thunderstorm aimlessly ripped through walls and corners, forcing everyone on the ground. Possessed Logan coldly laughed, driving bitter chills down his best friends' spines. He ominously approached the gang.

"L-Logan, please…" Tina whimpered, "…please, don't…"

The heroes proceeded to talk some sense into Logan, "Dude…! Don't do it."

"C'mon, man…! Snap out of it…"

"We're your buddies…"

Logan tugged his arms toward his targets and a surge of Thundaja whooshed from his fingers. The heroes leapt to the side as the magic brushed right past its targets and split through the cemented ground. Another wall exploded into crumbles.

Possessed Logan proceeded with more Thundaja blasts, targeting James, Carlos and Penelo. The trio swerved out of the way as the thunderstorm cascaded right above them, striking another wall. Rocks pelted on the gang. Possessed Logan turned around and shot more Thundaja to his left where the rest of the heroes were, striking yet another wall at the top corner. More rocks hit by the storm fell and pelted down on the heroes.

Possessed Logan let out a bloodcurdling cry and spun around with his arms straight up sideways, unleashing a spin attack of thunderstorms. Its fury ripped the prison walls like mere paper. Artemis laughed evilly on cue.

Vaan managed on his feet and looked up. The image of the chaotic _Leviathan _was still on display. Balthier and Fran were still with the royals, protecting them from the violent mist storm. They haven't killed Ashe and Larsa yet. Not a flash of a blade or a wave of a knife was exposed by either of them. But Vaan thought of that too soon the moment he saw Balthier slip out his Vega gun from out of his vest. He stopped to admire it. Like Logan, there was darkness in his eyes. Balthier was possessed. Vaan briefly turned to Fran in the picture and she was also in the same state.

Snarling, he turned to face the Emperor and Possessed Logan and with a blasted battle cry, he lunged at the Possessed wizard who was about to unleash another Thundaja attack and tackled him hard to the ground.

"VAAN!" Everyone shouted.

Vaan could have attacked Logan, beat up some sense into him, but he didn't. Logan was under the Emperor's spell. He quickly jumped off him and turned to Artemis's direction. He whisked out his blade and charged at the Dark Emperor, the tip aiming for the upper chest. The Emperor vanished by the second and Vaan skidded to a halt, startled.

The Emperor resurfaced from behind Vaan and tugged his blond hair forward with a firm grasp. He lifted him up from the ground and watched him struggling to break free.

"VAAN!" everyone cried out for their friend, watching the Dark Emperor gently gripping his fingers around Vaan's head, slowly squeezing and tightening. Vaan cried out, sensing his skull cracking and the burning heat of the pain overwhelming his visions.

The heroes ran up to Vaan and the Emperor. Possessed Logan warped in front of them, stopping their advances. He smiled ominously.

"Logan, snap OUT of it!" Kendall begged at Logan.

"Dude, that ain't you!" James shouted at him, "You're not the kinda guy who turns to the dark side!"

"This is all my fault!" Tina cried, tears practically flowing down her eyes. "ALL!"

"Okay, how is this, _your_ fault?" James shouted at Tina.

"It IS my fault!" Tina snapped, "I was afraid that this was going to happen… I cannot let that happen." She clenched her staff tightly, and then stepped forward to face the heroes, "I CANNOT let that happen."

"Okay, Tina…" Kendall said nervously. Tina eerily inhaled. Her eyes suddenly stared on the floor, her body slowly moved in rhythm to her breathing and she slowly turned ominously silent. The heroes didn't like that, "Tina…" Kendall said again, "What are you… what are you doing Tina… Tina…?"

"WAAAAAA!" Carlos zoomed right past Kendall and James, tackled Tina to the ground and pinned her arms apart, restraining her. Tina struggled to break free, but found no strength to do so.

"Let... go off me!" she screamed.

"I'm not gonna let you hurt my friends!" Carlos exclaimed, "OR yourself!"

"I'm not hurting anybody," she yelped, "but putting you all out of your miseries!"

Possessed Logan laughed maniacally and a burst of Thundaja once again escaped its fingers, heading straight for Carlos and Tina.

"NOOOO!" everyone screamed.

Tina twirled Carlos and pinned him to the ground seconds before the Thundaja struck her hard from the back. She screamed in pain, the Thundaja illuminated the entire dungeon, crashed through more walls.

The Thundaja vanished only to be replaced by a cloud of stony dust. Tina rolled over to the ground, smokes extracted out of her charred body. Carlos however was unaffected.

"Oh no... Tina?" Kendall ran up to her, "TINA!" he crouched besides her. The rest of the heroes gathered 'round Tina. Carlos was stunned by what she just did. "She… saved me…"

"Kweeena…" Chocolate silently wept besides his master.

"Well…" The Emperor said maniacally. "That's one down."

The heroes returned to his attention. He still had Vaan at his grasp. His vision was fading to black, and he groaned groggily, unable to sustain the pain any longer.

"Vaan!" Penelo shouted.

Vaan's eyes quivered in response.

"There's still one more to go down and that'll be five more to go." Artemis said.

"Ghn… Ghn… N-not…" Vaan cringed, "…a… ch—CHANCE!"

An ex-Burst aura suddenly took over Vaan's body and sent out a strong wind blow all across the prison hallways. Vaan with all his might landed a strong back kick right on the dark emperor's crotch.

"KYAAAAA!"

"OOOOOHHHH…" the heroes cringed.

The Emperor let go off Vaan and stumbled backward, crying in pain. Vaan quickly turned to face the Emperor, faltering back.

"That's gotta hurt." Carlos said.

"You…" the Emperor grimaced, his voice only a pathetic whimper. He was now on his knees, "…you…!"

Vaan summoned his sword and pointed at the Dark Emperor. "You may be all powerful, but you still have a weakness! Now, leave my friends alone!"

"You… little…weasel…" Artemis growled.

xXx

Back at the _Leviathan, _the ship was crossing through the violent strong wind of the mist-infected skies, which was as blood-red as the blood of slaughtered cattle. People still tried to hold on to their seats or to each other for support, but some weren't strong enough or were unable to hold on long enough for the wind to take them away into the skies.

Luckily for Ashe and Larsa, they had Balthier, Larsa, and Basch to keep them safe and in balance. But the royals were unaware that Balthier and Fran were under the spell of the Dark Emperor Artemis. Basch was with the company of Larsa, and Fran was with Ashe. Balthier stood far behind, his back firmly against the wall and the Vega Gun behind him.

"The criminals?" Ashe exclaimed, "Do you know who they are?"

The _Leviathan _suddenly began to slow down. The mist-infected skies began to lose its blood-red color but it was diminishing into an orange hue. The strong wind gently turned mild. But that didn't stop the audience from crying out in loud commotion. The ordeal really took a toll on them.

The queen stood up and stepped forward to face them, "People of Dalmasca!" she cried out, "Are you all hurt?"

The crowd continued to yell and cry out in woe. Ashe tried to calm them down but the fear they had was just too much.

"Please, calm down my people." She said, "Everything's gonna be okay. There's been a security breach but our squadron of Soldiers and medics have been contacted. They're coming to your aids onboard various airships as we speak."

The crowd paying attention to Ashe suddenly cried out with intense horror, "MY QUEEEN!"

Ashe suddenly felt Fran's arms wrapping around her neck and her bodice, restricting her from fighting back. Ashe screamed but Fran shoved her hand over her mouth, silencing her. Waves of panic swept across the masses.

Balthier stepped forward and fired his Vega gun in the air, startling them further.

"Balthier!" Larsa shouted.

"Lady Ashe!" Basch leapt toward the queen, but Balthier turned around and pointed the gun at him. Basch stood numbly.

"Don't… move a muscle." Balthier smirked, "…or the Queen and the Emperor get it."

"Balthier…!" Basch growled under his breath, "…what are you doing?"

"He's being stupid." Kain's voice was heard above the party. Everyone looked up and watched him descend on Fran with his lance, slashing her back. Fran went to the ground. Kain grabbed Ashe. Balthier fired his gun, but Lightning had kicked it moments before the bullet escaped to strike Ashe. The crowd panicked. Lightning went for her Launch attack, slashing him twice before sending him flying off the court of Royals with her blade. The crowd cheered.

Laguna and Tifa entered the scene as well. "Anyone's hurt?" Tifa asked. She noticed Larsa and Ashe were not hurt but were a bit on edge.

"Everything's fine." Basch replied for them, "Thanks to you."

Laguna breathed heavily, as if he ran a marathon just to get to his destination.

"Who are you?" Basch asked the heroes before facing Laguna and pointed, "And what's up with him?"

"We're Cosmos' Warriors of the 12th Cycle of War." Kain replied, "…and he, Laguna, ran for nothing."

"For… uff… nothing…?" Laguna's eyes looked like they were about to come out, "…if we haven't…puff… ran… uff…then the queen would've…uff…been a goner…"

"Next time Laguna, use your Warp Ring." Tifa showed her Warp Ring on her finger.

"Ugh…"

xXx

Back at the prison hallways, the dark aura around Logan slowly vanished, and his dark eyes brought back its brown color. Logan blinked a couple of times before noticing his surroundings. "Uh…? What…" he turned to face the heroes, "…what's going on?"

He noticed Tina, dying in a silent Kendall's arms. "Tina…?" he said alertly, "Oh my gosh, Tina! What happened to you?"

"What happened?" James mirthlessly laughed, before turning angry toward Logan, "Well, let's see. You got possessed by a psycho emperor and you tried to KILL us!"

"What?" Logan exclaimed.

"You ended up killing Tina instead…" Carlos said sadly.

Logan stood speechless for a second. He guiltily turned to Tina's aggrieved body, "Oh my gosh… Tina… I'm so… I'm so sorry…" he then turned to Kendall, "…Kendall… I…"

"No, don't…" Tina slowly shook her pretty little head, "it's not your fault…" she faintly smiled before turning her gaze back to Kendall, "…it was the Mark…"

"Tina…" Kendall said calmly.

"Graaaawl…" the Emperor bellowed, catching the heroes' attention, "…this isn't over yet… you may have broken my spell… but I'm not d…done with you yet…"

He tugged his arms sideways, spread his legs apart and lowered his head a bit. His dark eyes closed. A dark-red aura slowly smoldered his entire body. A sigil—the Symbol of Chaos—drew underneath him and a bright light flared from its chasms. Twelve orbs slowly pulled out of the symbol and they too emitted the same dark-red aura as the Emperor. The orbs were the size of tennis balls. The heroes looked on alerted.

"I don't like this." Carlos said.

"He's gonna finish us for good!" James shouted.

"Not a chance!" Logan leapt from the ground. A bright flash of lightning flickered from his fingers before he thundered it directly to the Emperor. The magic struck an invisible wall halfway toward its target and bounced back toward its sender. The guys swerved from the magic once more, and watched it traveled to yet another wall. The impact caused the entire prison hall to violently shake. Rocks and debris began to rain around the heroes and the enemies, billowing into a cloud of fumes and debris.

"The prison is collapsing!" Penelo shouted through the clouding darkness, "The foundation is at its last leg!"

"We gotta escape somehow!" Vaan exclaimed, "We gotta go!"

"Go on without me." Kendall said quietly.

The heroes whipped their heads toward Kendall, "WHAT?"

"Are you nuts?" Carlos exclaimed, "We can't stay here!"

"We all need to escape!" James advised, "Take Tina with you!"

"NO one is escaping this place," shouted the Emperor, still in his position of summoning his dark power. The orbs around him were now the size of basketballs.

"You're not the boss of us!" Vaan raged at the Emperor.

The Emperor grinned, "Oh, trust me. I am. I'm not going down without a fight. But if I am to go down, I'm taking you down WITH ME!" He then cried out, "_DESTRUDO AERUBIS_!"

A bright light overwhelmed the Emperor and soon flooded the entire hall.

xXx

"FeAsT YoUr EyEs, YoU GaZerS, SpEcTaToRs, AnD WoRmS EvErYWhErE aCroSs AlLlL DiMeNsIoNs! TrEmBlE At ThE FeEt Of YoUr MaStEr Of AlL ScIoNs, EsPeRs aNd SuMmOnS! FoR YoUr EnD is nIgH!"

The Emperor's voice rendered the skies. Vaan, Penelo, Chocolate, Tina, and Big Time Rush were now onboard the _Leviathan, _standingright in the middle of the grand arena. They were stunned. The crowd watching them was stunned, wondering how the heroes appeared in an eyeblink.

All eyes went to the Emperor. His massive robe danced through the violent wind, causing a sandstorm. His sharp eyes glimmered like burning charcoal, his skin turned arid and dry. The twelve orbs, now the size of exercise balls, madly sped around him at such great speed it was like seeing one ball. The balls then zipped into the air and exploded, illuminating the skies.

The clouds moved away, making way for twelve sigils. The sigils formed into twelve great beasts as they descend unto the ship—Scions!

All eyes stared at them in absolute terror.

"BeHoLd!" the Emperor bellowed, "FeAsT yOuR EvEr-LoViNg TeRrIfYiNg EyEs UpOn ThE EsPeRs Of IvAlICe!"

BeLiAs, ThE GiGaS

ChAoS, WaLkEr Of ThE WhEeL

ShEmHaZaI, ThE WhIsPeReR

ZaLeRa, ThE DeAtH SeRaPh

UlTiMa, ThE HiGh SeRaPh

ZeRoMuS, ThE CoDeMnEr

HaShMaL, BrInGeR Of OrDeR

ExOdUs, ThE JuDgE-SaL

AdRaMmElEcH, ThE WrOtH

FaMfRiT, ThE DaRkEnInG ClOuD

MaTeUs, ThE CoRrUpT

AnD CúChUlAiNn, ThE ImPuRe

The last Scion reeked of a two-week old blue cheese under a pile of dirty socks, drenched in a mixture of a three-week old milk and cat business.

"ewwwwww…" the crowd plugged their noses and shut their eyes, sensing the burning stench stinging their pupils. All twelve Scions stood before the heroes on the arena.

"CúChUlAiNn! YoU'rE a BiG FaN oF tHeSe GuYs, RiGhT?" The Dark Emperor bellowed. He was nowhere to be found.

Cúchulainn ran its fly-infested tongue across its massive lips. The guys shook their heads.

The Dark Emperor faded in as a ghost in god-like form, hovering amongst the clouds.

"HuG ThEm!" he bellowed.

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!" the guys screamed, quickly stepping back. Cúchulainn moved toward and wrapped its stinking arms around them in an embrace. The guys groaned in repulse.

"NoW, ToSs ThEm!"

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!" the guys screamed again. Cúchulainn raised them above its head and swung. They flew into the ship's bleachers. The crowd evacuated, speeding through the exits for safety.

"HaShMaL! yOuR FiSt DoWn To ItS eArTh!"

Hashmal flickered and vanished. He then crashed right through the bleachers with its fists. The guys flew across the arena once more, landed hard on solid ground. Rains of rocks and shattered bricks scattered around. The Dark Emperor laughed maniacally. Penelo and Vaan cried out for their friends. The rest of the warriors gathered at the Royals Court, fearing for the heroes' safety.

"ThE GaMe iS SiMpLe, wArRiOrS oF DaRkNeSs! DeFeAt Me aNd AsHe, aNd LaRsA sHaLl bE yOuR PrIzE. KiLl tHeM aNd FeEd UnTo Me ThEiR HoLy LiGhTs, aNd ThE CuRsE of DaRkNeSs tAiNtEd UpOn YoU ShAlL VaNiSh, AnD We WiLl No LoNgEr HeEd My NeEdS!"

BuT LoSe, AnD YoUr FaTe wIlL FaLl UpTO ThE hAnDs oF tHe DeAtH SeRaPh, ZaLeRa!"

Zalera hovered before the fleeing crowd and the heroes on cue. The heroes barely struggled to their knees, staring numbly at the terrifying Esper before them. They couldn't decide which form of Zalera was terrifying: the woman corpse attached to the Esper's side, or the Esper's skullish features itself.

[OH NO KUPO!] Mog exclaimed, [THIS IS BAD! IF THESE YOUNG GUYS DON'T DO SOMETHING THEY'RE GONNA DIE!]

[But if they don't die, the Queen and Emperor Larsa WILL die!] Vivi exclaimed.

The Dark Emperor whizzed its head across the panicking audience. Half of the crowd managed to escape to safety. He then turned back toward the heroes. Vaan, Penelo, and Chocolate were the only ones standing. The guys and Tina were severely wounded. The Dark Emperor smiled.

"Care for a little demo on what a deathblow feels like?" he grinned before turning to Zalera, "ZaLeRa! CoNdEMn!"

Basch watched from the Royals Court as the woman corpse attached to Zalera trembled in place. So did the heroes, Vaan and Penelo. Only Vaan and Basch knew what was coming.

"COVER YOUR EARS!" they shouted in warning right as the woman corpse opened her dark-plumped lips.

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!_"

The entire _Leviathan _shook violently. The mass crowd suddenly fell dead on the floor, as if at will to the woman's blood-curdling scream. Even Mog and Vivi fell dead.

But the heroes—Ashe, Larsa, Basch, the 012 Warriors, Vaan, Penelo, Chocolate, and Big Time Rush—were still alive. They had blocked their ears at the last second.

Zalera laughed out loud and so did the Dark Emperor. The heroes watched the crowd, no longer loud and crying in panic, but silent as a brick wall.

"Oh my gosh…!" James quivered, "Everyone's dead!"

"This is terrible!" Carlos added.

Kendall whizzed back, "TINA!" He shouted for his friend, hoping to hear her faint cry. She was unresponsive.

Ashe and Larsa both stared at that heartrending sight from the Royals Court. They shook their heads in disbelief.

"SmArT mOvE, QuEeN Ashe, fOr bLoCkInG yOuR EaRs At ThE LaSt SeCoNd." The Dark Emperor laughed out loud, its attention onto the frightened Queen. "WoUlD'vE bEeN a ShAmE tO lOsE YoU On SuCh ShOrt NoTiCe WhEn My PlAn To StEaL YoUr HoLiNeSs Is So ClOsE To CoMiNg TrUe, tHaNks tO tHeSe FiNe WaRrIoRs."

She briefly glanced at the heroes who were shaking their heads in denial, before turning back to the ghostly Dark Emperor, "You darkened cur…" she hissed, "…what have you done?"

"Let's go against him!" Tifa proposed and the 012 Warriors were about to jump off the Royals Court to join the group, but an invisible force knocked them backward.

"OkAy, WhAt PaRt Of LeAvE tHiS bAtTlE tO oUr FiNe HeRoEs, dOn'T yOu AlL UnDeRsTaNd?"

"The whole part!" Laguna shouted, caressing his bumped head, "You never mentioned they will fight alone against you and your Espers!"

"WHAT?" the guys turned back to the Emperor and his Espers.

"That's cheating!" Tifa shouted back.

"I'M EvIL. ChEaTiNg AiN'T iN My DiCtIoNaRy oF MoRaLs!" the Dark Emperor bellowed, before turning his attention to the heroes, "NoW, tO dEaL WiTh yOu!"

The guys glanced at each other briefly. With a confirm nod, they lined up, firmly stood their ground, and stared back at the Emperor with utter contempt.

"We'll deal with you." Kendall said, before turning to Vaan and Penelo, "You two. Take Tina and Chocolate with you to a safe place. Look after them."

"But…" Penelo hesitated.

"Hey, pal! We wanna fight with you!" Vaan argued.

"This is no time to argue guys!" Logan barked, before James and Carlos pushed them away from the arena "Go! Go! Go! Go!" they shouted until the group was out of harm's way. The three friends quickly rejoined Kendall, five feet from the nightmares before them.

Kendall flashed his blade out. "This is our fight."

James pulled out his nunchunks. "We're all in this together."

Carlos drew his twin daggers up front, "You're going down."

Logan flexed his right arm up, two fingers together formed a shimmer of white light, "_Your _end is nigh."

"CAUSE WE ARE—" Kendall cried out and the guys joined in, "—WARRIORS OF LIGHT! BIG TIME RUSH UNITE!"

They thrust their weapons upward and a column of light briefly bathed their bodies. They were now in their Warriors of Light outfits. Sparkles of light danced around them. They lunged toward their opponents.

-**Big Time Decisive Battle!-  
Emperor Artemis and the Twelve Espers**

The rest of the heroes had to stay at the Royals Court, stuck as if inside a commentator's box at a football game, to watch helplessly Big Time Rush facing off against the Dark Emperor and its twelve Espers.

"gOoD… lEt'S sEe WhAt YoU'rE aLl MaDe Of…" laughed the Dark Emperor, its godly appearance was translucent over the dark skies, alongside the twelve Espers hovering beside him. Thunder and lightning roared at a distance.

The four guys ran toward the bosses, feet pounding through the empty arena. Faster on their speed, swifter on their toes. Carlos was ahead of the group. His swift ninja feet left the ground and he shaved right through the Emperor's ghostly form with his daggers.

"MuAh! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah!"

Belias appeared in place and caught Carlos by the lower leg, stopping him midair, "HEY!" Carlos shouted; but the Gigas violently spun him across the stage and tossed him into the air.

A bulge of Firaga brushed right past the landing Carlos and struck the Gigas head-on. The Gigas barely staggered back and faced the person who casted that magic: Logan. Logan launched more Firaga balls at Belias, but the Gigas spun its staff with its fingers, knocked out every one of the fireballs off course. He swept his staff across the stage, and a wall of blazing fire gushed off the ground like volcano. The wall of fire sped straight to Logan who flickered on contact. Logan reappeared below the Gigas.

"Miss me!" He taunted. The Gigas struck its feet toward Logan. Logan flickered out of the way again, and the Gigas stomped on the ground instead, splitting the arena.

"Miss me again!" The Gigas quickly lost track of Logan.

Logan suddenly stopped smiling, sensing hi swift movement diminishing. The Gigas finally spotted him.

"Guys?" Logan exclaimed, "Something's wrong… guys…?" he tried snapping his fingers quickly, but he noticed his arm slowly coming up and his fingers slowly pinching. He soon noticed a circle of golden clocks prancing besides him and also slowing in rhythm to his movement. They clock froze up and so did he.

"GUYS!" He cried out, unable to move a muscle.

"Crud!" exclaimed Tifa from the court of royals, "Logan got caught by a Stop Spell!"

"No…" Lighting hissed. The small crowd turned unease.

"MuAh! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah!"

All heads turned to Logan in peril. The Gigas raised its staff up and descended it on him.

A swift kick from Carlos suddenly connected hard on Belias' skull. The Gigas let go off his staff and flew across the arena. Carlos turned and spotted Zeromus, the Codemner! The Esper dropped behind Logan like a bat and zeroing in on him.

"LOGAN! LOOK OUT! BEHIND YOU!" he cried out. But Logan was unable to look back as he was frozen. He whimpered.

"Don't move!" James flipped into the air and lunged right past Logan. He swung his nunchuks, striking Zeromus hard across the side. Zeromus shrieked. The golden clocks encircling Logan shattered immediately and the young wizard dropped and rolled to the ground. He was able to move again.

The small crowd breathed sighs of relief.

"WHOO! Go, Warriors! Whoo!" Laguna cheered.

"Laguna!" Tifa hissed, "You can't do that! What if they win? The darkness within them will end up killing Ashe and Larsa!"

"Whoa-Ohh! Ooooooh... Bad plan! Bad plan!" Laguna exclaimed.

"You two aren't helping at all." Lightning said.

James rushed at his friend's opponent with flying fists. Zeromus flickered like a TV screen with every hit James delivered. He then vanished before James and Shemhazai the Whisperer quickly took its place. Its armored face zeroed in on James. James froze.

She shrieked and a fast-paced waterfall of lightning attack cut through the arena like a sharp blade, hitting James dead on. James flew into the bleachers. The crowd cried out.

"James!" Logan exclaimed. Shemhazai turned to Logan. Logan tugged his arms at the Esper and shot a ball of Firaga. She zipped toward Logan, breezed right through his Spell, and cut through him like a sharp knife. She slashed, hacked, flashed through him with hastening speed, he quickly lost track of the Esper and cried out at her multiple strikes. One final blow sent him right through the bleachers where James was.

Kendall's blade clanked with Mateus's trident at a blinding speed, making ear-splitting sounds. Mateus easily swooped, parried and swayed across all directions. Kendall gasped; his sword-wielding arm sore all over and he couldn't keep up to speed. He had to back out of the way, but Mateus insisted with its blind-flashing speeds of its trident and its fast approach.

Kendall tumbled back, his back hit the ground and his sword flew off his grasp. Mateus stretched out its trident; its tip barely touched the warrior's chin. Kendall quickly shut his eyes and braced himself.

"WHAAAAAAA!"

Mateus looked up, and so did Kendall; they spotted a human beam zip through Mateus's helm, and shattered it. Mateus vanished just as Kendall shuffled up to see that the human beam was Carlos, making a landing.

Carlos turned to his corner, "You're okay, buddy?"

A shadow closed in on Carlos from behind, "Carlos, look out!" Kendall shouted for his friend, but too late. The shadow quickly vanished and so did Carlos. Massive wings battered across the battlefield and Kendall spotted the massive dragon Adrammelech, sweeping Carlos with its talons into the high skies. Carlos cried out in fear. Logan and James quickly recovered from their blow from Shemhazai.

"CARLOS!" the guys helplessly watched the Esper cascading high up into the misty skies.

"They need our help! THEY _CLEARLY_ NEED OUR HELP!" Tifa complained.

"But what _can _we do?" Larsa exclaimed, "We can't break into the Arena due to the Invisible wall! It's their fight!"

The Dark Emperor's laughter once again echoed and Adrammelech poured down a rain of thunder on the heroes, ripping again across the battlefield. The guys ran out of the thunder's way and jumped behind a pile of rocks in hiding.

"We need a new plan! NOW!" Kendall exclaimed, glancing back and forth toward Logan and James. The guys nodded, "Right!"

Logan pointed at the Esper, a surge of Thunder escaped his magicked fingers once again. Adrammelech opened up its jaws and a surge of Thunder cascaded out of it. Both magic connected, trying to push one over the other.

Kendall and James proceeded to run out of their hiding place and headed straight for the dragon. But then Zalera showed up.

"COVER YOUR EARS!" James shouted in warning, but too late.

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!_"

Kendall, James, and Logan heard the scream. Kendall and James painfully staggered to their knees and were unable to move. Logan's magic vanished and before he could go down, Adrammalech's thunder struck him hard. He flew across the arena like a speeding train.

"LOGAN!" everyone cried out.

"MuAh! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah!"

"D-damn that Emperor…!" Kain exclaimed, "Hiding behind his Espers to cast out Paralysis on his opponents…"

"HAVEN'T YOU DONE ENOUGH, YOU FREAK?" Vaan shouted out, "HAVEN'T YOU?" he left Tina, Chocolate and Penelo's sides and ran toward his opponent.

"Vaan, no!" Penelo exclaimed, "It's no—!"

Vaan ran onto the invisible shield and stumbled backward.

"…use." Penelo muttered.

"AcTuAlLy…" the Dark Emperor reappeared before the paralyzed Kendall and James. He was back in his mortal form. "I was just getting started."

He snapped his fingers and the paralysis let go of Kendall and James. They stumbled back, their muscles sore and in so much pain, moving proved difficult. Carlos, still under the grasp of the flying wroth tried fighting back the pain of the Esper's talons pressing and crushing his sides. Logan who was knocked under a pile of rocks and debris by the bleachers was slowly fading in and out of consciousness. The Espers proved too tough for the guys. Artemis grinned, enjoying the damage he had done.

He slowly stepped forward the guys and grabbed Kendall and James by their necks, slowly pressing and crushing. The guys screamed in agony. The rest of the group helplessly watched the warriors. Powerless to intervene, to come to their rescue, they had to scream collectively in fear to lose them.

"You know what I hate the most about heroes like you?" the Emperor said, "the fact that you always come from out of the blue, meddle into people's affairs and blow up our plans!" a smirked passed on his lips, "…but you know what I like about you? The fact that you've accepted to be Darkness's little pawns."

"W…we're not…" James squealed in pain, fire racing from his neck to his entire head.

Artemis turned over to Kendall, "Pity that you had to lose a dear loved one thanks to your sudden pledge to Chaos."

"Sh-shut up…" Kendall grunted.

"Pity that she didn't died writhing under my torment like an invasive little mouse being crushed under the sole of my feet. Gee, I wonder how she'd felt."

"SHUP UP!" Kendall exclaimed. Artemis let go off both boys and with his staff struck them across their sides. They wheeled over uncomfortably, groaning. The small crowd continued to shout against the Dark Emperor.

"No one tells me to shut up. I'm the Emperor of Darkness," he then shouted out to the small crowd, "and you ALL should respect me!"

They got silent as well. Logan was regaining consciousness, a blurry vision circled around him, but Artemis wasn't paying attention. He smiled at his nemesis, "But you know what? This respect is gonna start… right now." He raised his hands up high, and a large ball of light plumped before everyone.

"Bow down to your Master, and obey all that his Chaos! SAY GOODBYE!"

The crowd helplessly watched the large ball of light taking form.

"GOODBYE!" A young voice rang across the arena. The heroes recognized that voice.

Rain of bullets suddenly pelted across Adrammalech. All heads turned to the falling Esper, going for the ground, losing its grip on Carlos. The surprised Carlos seized that chance to strike back! He grabbed on the Esper's legs and like a kite rammed into Artemis with a double-kick. Artemis went to the ground. The guys looked on, stunned, with a glimmer of hope in their faces.

Carlos landed besides Kendall and James. They all saw Axel and Reina, standing a couple of feet from the Emperor and the Espers with their guns pointing.

"…and good riddance." Axel finished his sentence and blew the smoke off his guns' tip. Grins slowly drew across the guys' battered faces.

The small crowd exploded in cheers. Of course, Axel and Reina weren't alone. Firion, Cecil and Cloud came besides them as well. And Logan was with them also. But surprisingly he appeared fine! As if the fight didn't bruise him one bit!

"Looks like you need our help, Warriors of Light." Firion said.

"You guys came!" Kendall grinned, "You're all came…!"

"They all did." Logan smiled.

"…but Logan… I thought you were…"

"Little bit of White Magic." Axel said, "From yours truly, Monsignor Daiswai of Bhujerba."

The arriving group stepped back and in approached the petite Nu Mou Scholar, freed from the Emperor's prison.

"Y'see. We found him trapped inside this freaky hourglass." Axel explained, "But you see, HE is a godsend. He also healed Logan!" He then turned his attention toward Firion and Cecil, "And Firion and Cecil helped too!" He then turned to Cloud's attention, "Cloud… not so much."

"Hey, I helped you know." Cloud complained.

"Help me get these young men." Daiswai said to Firion and Cecil.

"Got it." And Firion and Cecil proceeded to cast Cure on Kendall, James and Carlos, while Daiswai casted a Magic Frenzy of Curaga and Cureall on the gang. A shimmering mixture of aqua and silk ivory light overwhelmed their bodies head to toe; a soothing, almost oozing feeling penetrated through their achy bones and muscles, and quickly reattached the torn limbs, broken bones and closed up wounds—old and fresh. Within seconds, the guys were back on their feet. The heroes cheered on.

"Thank you Daiswai." Logan smiled at the scholar, "See, I knew for some reason you existed."

"Okay, okay, you're making me blush now."Daiswai grimaced.

The Espers raged and charged at the heroes. The heroes stepped back. "Watch out!" Daiswai warned. The heroes stepped in front of the Espers but Firion, Cecil and Cloud pushed them back.

"Just leave this to us, guys!" He descended on the wounded Adrammalech with two daggers and slit the wroth's throat with his katana. Mateus thrust its trident toward Cloud who jumped back and swung his blade downward, releasing a blast of explosion. Mateus shattered like ice.

Cecil spun toward Cúchulainn, sending him right through another wall and threw a magic seal toward it, firing projectiles of violet-colored light.

Axel and Reina casted a Hastega spell on each other and swiftly went gun-blazing on Belias, Zeromus and Hashmal, pelting them further with bullets until they couldn't move anymore.

Daiswai's Tome gracefully floated in midair. Zalera was about to let out its deathly cry again when the tome's pages lit up and a shimmering bright sunlight briefly overwhelmed the arena. Zalera's blood-curdling scream quickly faded into mute and the creature was gone.

**End Battle**

The rest of the Espers, noticing their numbers was losing, swam backward, and faded out into the dark skies.

The Emperor woke up from his unconsciousness and slammed his palm on the ground. Frustrated, he slowly bended on his knees and pushed himself up. The surprise party stood before him, glaring back at him. It wasn't just Big Time Rush who was there, but Axel, Reina, Firion, Cecil, Cloud, and the rest of the gang the Emperor had kept away. They all approached the Emperor, frozen numbly before the uprising alliance. His face was expressionless. Like he was either in shock or simply amazed.

"Give it up, Emperor." Firion pointed his blade at him, "It's over for you. It's no longer thirteen against four now."

"Yeah, it's now one against…!" Axel paused, quickly counted the number of people in the arena—himself, Reina, Firion, Cecil, Cloud, Kendall, James, Carlos, Logan, Vaan, Penelo, Light—! He cut himself short, "Every_one_ of us!"

"Do you know how much I wanna hurt you so much right now?" Reina glared at him.

"The feeling's mutual, Reina." James coldly replied, his attention on the Emperor, "You disgust me Emperor. How can you be so selfish?"

All heads turned to James. "Yeah. I said it! So what?" he faced the Emperor again. "You tried to kill a sweet Queen like Ashe, and in the process also, you tried to murder Emperor Larsa too!"

Carlos exclaimed, "And you possess people! And you used us to fulfill your selfish deed!"

"And you tried to murder yourself AND hurt a poor sweet innocent dog like Daiswai." Logan exclaimed.

Daiswai cleared his throat.

"I mean, Nu Mou." Logan corrected.

"What's worse…" Kendall angrily approached the Emperor, "…you had a young lady… you had Tina… someone I really looked up to the most, killed on the battlefield." He shook his head, "I don't care if you used my friend Logan's powers to take her out. It is still your fault for causing this."

Kendall closed in on Artemis. "You will never… ever… gonna get away with it."

A smirk passed on to the Emperor's lips.

"So, you've enjoyed my performance huh?" he said casually, "I'm not called the Dark Emperor for nothing."

"You son of a b—!" Laguna angrily approached the Dark Emperor, but Lightning and Kain restrained him.

"You're going to pay for your crimes, Emperor!" Lightning snapped back.

Ashe and Larsa stepped in front of the Dark Emperor. Bash turned nervous, "Your Majesties…"

"Continue to enjoy your wicked ways while it lasts, Emperor Artemis." Ashe glowered, "Because this is Dalmasca, Royal Capital of Ivalice. And in Dalmasca, any criminal offense or threat directly made against its ruler and its allies under Dalmascan soil are bound by the law to immediate capital punishment."

As Ashe was talking, the fleet of soldiers and knights from both countries came to surround the _Leviathan._ The soldiers dispatched through the airship.

"So therefore" the queen went on, "by order of Dalmasca Royal Court, you, Emperor Artemis of Garlea, are under arrest for the attempted assassination made upon my life and that of my friend Larsa of Archadia. You will be put to death by morning!"

A snap of the fingers and Bach made his order for the soldiers to surround and seize the Emperor. Larsa closed in on the Emperor, eyes narrowed in disgust, "you repulse me."

"…and you're just a tiny brat." The Emperor shot back, before turning his attention toward BTR, "…but you four. You make quite an interesting group of fellows… Big Time Rush… may we meet again." He chuckled, "…we better."

A bluish ghostly flame engulfed the Emperor from the toes up. The soldiers flinched, and so did everyone. The moment the ghostly flame sizzled out, the Emperor was gone, leaving trails of laughter behind.

_MuAh! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha! Ah! Ha!_

xXx

The airship and its arena looked empty. There were debris, piles of rocks and mountains of wreckage. The ship was in need of some _serious _cleaning anytime soon. The soldiers of Dalmasca and Archadia were on clean-up duty, to get rid of all the damage, and to tend for all the dead on the ship. The heroes were the only ones on board the _Leviathan _that was not affected by Zalera's death-wail.

…well, everyone except Tina.

The heroes stood besides Tina. Her eyes closed, her gentle baby face looked at peace. Kendall quietly lamented. His buddies gathered around him and Tina and consoled him. Chocolate groaned, choking back tears as well. Of course the gang was there for the Chocobo who just lost a dear traveling friend.

"Why is everyone looking so glum, may I ask?" Daiswai spoke, breaking the mourning silence.

"Our friend is gone." Logan responded.

"Her name was Tina." Kendall said.

"She helped us through so much." Carlos lamented.

"Now we can't even help her." James sighed.

Daiswai threw a hand in dismissal, "Oh, pish-posh." He smiled. "I know of a spell that can bring her back." He then looked around, "And everyone else on the ship too."

The guys looked up. "Wait…" Carlos said, "…you're not serious, are you?"

It is _quite_ as effective as even a Phoenix Down." Daiswai explained, "Every bit perfect. It'll make miracles in this here sad place."

xXx

Daiswai was now in the middle of the airship arena, carrying with him his tome on hands. It pages were opened.

"Are you all ready…?" he asked.

Everyone stepped back in response, making room for the scholar.

"_Animus Recro!_"

The Nu Mou scholar let go off the book and it gently hovered into the air, suspended. A bright mix of ruby-golden light enveloped the book and a very thin, delicate beam of such color shot out into the sky from the book. The beam struck the orange clouds and an explosion lit up the sky. Red sparkling dusts descended all across the _Leviathan_. The Tome seized floating. The dusts gently landed on the lifeless bodies of the mass crowd, including Tina. Their lifeless bodies glowed in a golden hue on contact, and to the heroes' astonishment, their eyes flickered one-by-one.

The crowd began to sit up and glanced at each other. They were all fine. But why were they on the floor, they didn't know. It was as if they had suddenly fallen asleep and they haven't woken up for hours. They murmured at each other that fact, unaware that they had crossed path with Zalera earlier. The orange-colored skies faded back into its glorious bright sky-blue light as if the misty storm was over and it was now a brand new day in Ivalice.

Finally Tina was waking up.

"Ugh…" she held on her throbbing head, "…w-what's going on…?"

"Hey! You finally awake!" Axel said to the white mage. Tina looked on, noticing the rest of the group at her presence.

She blinked, "Wh…what do you…?" she then turned to face Kendall who was nearby. He smiled. She smiled faintly. "…Kendall?"

"Ooh… this is gonna be so… cute!" He teased. He then whispered to Reina's ears, "Reminds me a lot of my relationship with Kami. Just right."

The small group quickly hushed to watch. They stepped back to let Kendall approach Tina. Tina slowly sat up on the bench were she lay.

"…you're okay." Kendall said, "I thought I'd lost you."

Tina looked confused, but that didn't stop her from blushing, "…but I'm here."

The duo smiled at each other. But then Kendall cleared his throat, and quickly pushed away his feelings, "…w-well, I thought… _we'd_ lost you. You know. …as a friend. We thought we'd never see you again, and you've helped us so much in the past and—!"

"TINA!" the barks of James, Carlos and Logan resonated. She turned to see them madly running toward her. Kendall didn't have the chance to get out of the way, when he and Tina got squished in a tight hug.

"I thought we'd lost you!" Carlos bawled.

"Thought we'd never see you again!" Logan exclaimed.

"HEY! THAT'S MY LINES!" Kendall squealed.

"Oh, how life would be like without you?" James screamed, "TERRIBLE!"

"Ow, ow, ow…" Tina squealed, "…g-guys, you're hurting me!"

"KWEEEEENAAAA!"

Tina watched Chocolate running toward, "Chocolate!" she said cheerfully.

The guys looked up and saw Chocolate taking a great leap toward them. Tina and the guys screamed, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" But too late. Chocolate body-slammed them in a tight hug as well.

The heroes laughed on heartily. Chocolate and the guys broke the hug and faced the Warriors of Cosmos.

"Firion. Everyone. Thanks for helping us out there." Kendall said to Firion and the rest of the Warriors of Light.

"HEEY! I helped too y'know? Give a man some creds!" Axel exclaimed.

"Thank you, Axel!" the guys cheerfully laughed. Axel winked back to the readers.

"Seriously, if it wasn't for you guys, we would've been goners." Carlos added.

"And the Queen and the Emperor too would've been goners." James added.

"But everyone's safe." Logan exclaimed, and the heroes cheerfully agreed.

"…wait." Tina said, "…everyone's safe?" she blinked, "…but what of the Mark? Y'know? The Mark of the l'Cie?" she faced the guys, "The ones on your shoulders?"

The guys briefly rolled their sleeves to see their shoulders: no Marks of the l'Cie!

"It's gone!" the guys cheered.

"Apparently," spoke Axel, "the Emperor overlooked one important piece of fact: should the Warriors of Cosmos interfere with the Warriors of Darkness destinies, the Mark of the l'Cie bore on their shoulders will no longer be effective, and the Warriors of Darkness will be freed from their dark deeds and will revert back to their original roles: Warriors of Light!"

"So we won?" Tina beamed, cheerfully squealing, "WE WON!"

"We defeated the Dark Prophecy!" Carlos cheered and everyone else cheered as well.

_[Final Fantasy victory fanfare + BTR 'Famous' victory fanfare]_

"I'm saddened to say that this ordeal isn't over yet." Firion said, catching all attention.

"What do you mean?" Kendall asked.

"We have failed to protect Cosmos and as a result we've lost her." Cecil said.

"What?" everyone shouted out.

"But what will happen to the world?" Logan asked, "Your world?"

"Fortunately, nothing happened yet." Cloud said.

"The fate of both your world and ours are now resting on your shoulders," Cecil added, "and Your Crystals."

"We need all of the powers and all the help we can get to bring Cosmos back," Firion said, "so that together we can bring down Chaos and his Warriors once and for all."

"Then…" Lightning got cut off when Mog exclaimed to his microphone, [OH MY KUPO! IF THIS IS TRUE? THEN YOU WARRIORS OF LIGHT ARE TRULY GOING TO HEAD OUT INTO YOUR AMAZING MISSIONS TO SAVE THE WORLD!]

The heroes turned to face the crowd. They had totally forgotten they were still in the middle of the _Leviathan _arena and the Sky Tourneys was still far from over.

["NOW THAT'S WHAT WE CALL A MILESTONE TO THE FINAL FANTASY FABLES!"]

["No doubt"] Vivi said, ["They proved themselves worthy, by defeating a great evil that is a Dark Emperor!"]

The crowd cheered in agreement.

"What?" Vaan exclaimed, "Now wait a minute here…! They didn't defeat the Dark Emperor. The Warriors of Cosmos did!"

["Uhh… HELLOOOO!"] Mog exclaimed, ["DO YOU SEE A DARK EMPEROR HERE? DO YOU SEE A DOZEN ESPERS BY HIS SIDE?"]

The crowd cheered in agreement, "NOOO!"

["Who do you see besides you guys that are still standing?"] Vivi asked, and the crowd responded with a big loud and cheerful, ["THEM!"] pointing at the guys. The guys looked stunned.

"Hey, you gotta give the people what they want, right?" James haughtily whispered to a disappointed Vaan.

["NOT TO BE RUDE, BUT THE CROWD ALL AGREE! THE WARRIORS OF LIGHT ARE THE FUTURE SAVIORS OF THE WORLD! AND TO A SURPRISING TWIST OF FATE… WINNERS OF THIS YEAR'S SKY TOURNEYS!"]

The crowd cheered on again, confetti fluttered over the gang.

"You know what guys," Logan grinned, "This calls for a celebration…"

"Big Time Rush style!" the guys replied together over the cheering crowd.

xXx

A strung of the guitar kicked off the tune.

_Oh-O! OH! Oh-O!_

A slam of the drum followed.

_Oh-O! OH! Oh-O!_

_HEY YEA!_

More guitars and a piano quickly picked up. The drums slammed on again.

_Oh-O! OH! Oh-O! (yeah-yeah) Oh-O! OH! Oh-O!_

The crowd cheered on, expecting a powerful performance coming from the beats.

Kendall sang the first tune, _When everyday feels like the other, and everywhere looks just the same. When every dream feels like forever, and you're a face without a name._

James took on the next line, _Maybe now is our best chance, to finally get it right, cause if the world is an apple, then it's time to take a bite._

The instruments quickly followed into a rocking dancing tune as the chorus came on.

_Someday, it'll come together._

_Someday, we will work it out._

_I know, we can turn it up all the way (yeah)_

The guys danced across the arena, sang powerfully and swayed to the rocking tunes. The crowd soon followed suit, and enjoyed every second of it.

_'Cause this is our someday_

_Someday, is what we make it_

_Someday, right here and now_

_Why wait (why wait, why wait…)_

_'Cause this is our someday!_

The _Leviathan _no longer felt like a flying battle arena, but a flying concert stage. The music was blazing and the loudness of the cheerful crowd rippled across the worn out arena of the ship, across benches and surrounding the arena as well. As the guys sang powerfully their hit song, they began to remember all the adventures they had together so far. The entire arena suddenly transformed into something out of a combination of _Theatrhythm Final Fantasy_, _KH Mobile_ and some Chibi manga form inside a storybook. The guys were in Chibi form standing in the middle of an colorful field of flowers with Castle Cornelia at the distance. They quickly found themselves surrounded by goblins.

They faced the goblins, Final Fantasy style.

Logan took his turn, charging up a spell, [We all have times,] He cast a powerful fire spell, [times we wonder.] The fire spell took down all the goblins. The guys cheered victory and quickly walked into Castle Cornelia. [Will the spotlight shine on me?]

[I don't let the waves go and pull us under] the guys meet King Cornelia in KH Mobile Form. King Cornelia gives them a map. They stare at it, then quickly gets swallowed by a dark hole underneath them.

[Or miss the opportunity]

They now ended up inside Chaos Shrine. Garland in KH Mobile Form is spotted, ready to fight.

Carlos took his turn, charging toward Garland. [I don't look down or look back]. He vanished before Garland attacked. He reappeared behind Garland, surprising him, [It's not that far to go]

Garland attacked again with his chain sword. Carlos vanished. He reappeared again.

['Cause if we never track it]

Garland kept swinging his chains around until he found himself tied up by his own chain.

[We will never really know] Carlos jumped over the struggling Garland. Then Logan, then James, and finally Kendall. The tied up Garland fell down, defeated.

[Someday,] The guys faced Princess Sarah, also in KH form, tied up. [it'll come together.]

[Someday,] The guys quickly removed the rope off Princess Sarah, freeing her. [we will work it out.]

[I know,] The guys and Princess Sarah are magically seen inside Cornelia Castle and then quickly end up dancing to the music along with King Cornelia, [we can turn it up all the way (yeah)]

['Cause this is our someday. Someday] The guys' Crystals shine, as if it was time to go. They took off, leaving Princess Sarah and King Cornelia behind.

…then we see them, in chibi-form traveling on a world map. [is what we make it]

[Someday,] the guys now faced an airship before them, [right here and now]

One by one, they leapt into the airship to the [Why wait (why wait, why wait…)]

_The airship took off. ['Cause this is our someday!] (Page turned over back to the Leviathan.)  
_

The song ended on a solid note and the crowd roared their approval with standing ovations and a rainstorm of confetti.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Mog stood up and began applauding.

"Bravo, BTR! BRAVO!" Vivi cheered on.

The Warriors of Cosmos—stunned by their performances—applauded. The 012 Warriors as well. Tina, Chocolate, Jack, Ryuji, the Magick Sisters, all cheered on their approval. The queen Ashe and Larsa applauded as well. Even Vaan and Penelo were no exception. They cheered on loudly. Girl fans suddenly jumped off their feet and dashed toward them to the stage, literally shoving each other out of the way and comically tackled the guys down for autographs, photos, and even some kisses or two.

"HEY!" Tina turned green, "I saw them first! And you better not touch a hair on my boy—!" she quickly corrected herself, "…I mean my _friend_!" she jumped into the mob.

"Is she in good shape to jump into a crazy mob like that?" Firion looked worried.

Axel smirked, "She'll be fine! _They'll _be fine!"

[AND OUR WINNERS GET OUR FANTASTIC GRAND PRIZE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"] Mog announced, ["A BRAND-NEW AIRSHIP! COURTESY OF THE KINGDOM OF DALMASCA AND ARCHADIA!"]

The crowd cheered on.

[AND THAT CONCLUDES THE FINALE OF OUR 12TH ANNUAL SKY TOURNEYS, KUPO!] Mog said, [DON'T FORGET TO PICK UP A SPECIAL COPY OF THE BONGA BUGLE COMING NEXT MONTH AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE NEAR YOU, SHOWCASING ALL THAT WENT DOWN IN THE FESTIVAL! BUT DON'T FORGET, WE'RE COMING BACK WITH A VENGEANCE NEXT YEAR FOR YET ANOTHER ROUND OF BATTLES! TILL NEXT TIME, I'M MOG…!]

[…and I'm Vivi!]

[AND CONGRATS TO OUR WINNERS! SAYANO—!] Mog paused. He turned to face Vivi with a shock look on his face, "…wait! Vivi?"

Vivi looked back.

"I thought your name was Vivian!"

"… …"

* * *

**On the Next Episode of _Big Time Final Fantasy_**

_Following a Big time victory in Ivalice…_

Flashback to BTR concert on the _Leviathan _that got the crowd crazy.

_Big Time Rush and the heroes are now on board the brand-new Big Time Rush Airship._

"WHOOOOOO!" the guys cheered on.

_And you won't believe who is boarding the ship._

"We're boarding this ship." Cloud said to Warrior of Light, Firion, Onion Knight, Cecil, Bartz, Terra, Squall, Zidane and Tidus. "…whether you like it or not."

_…no, really. You won't BELIEVE who is boarding the ship._

"I must applaud you for your performance back in Ivalice." Kuja said to James. James smiled.

_It's one big reunion you won't forget._

"Princess Sarah?" Kendall faced Princess Sarah of Cornelia. The Princess smiled back.

"Wait a minute…!" Carlos said to Kefka. "…I know you." Logan and Ultimecia who were with them, looked on.

**On the next _Big Time Final Fantasy_ episode… on Logan's birthday!**

**~Big Time Reunion~**

* * *

**Author's Note**: I hope you've enjoyed this three-part episode of Big Time Final Fantasy: Big Time Ivalice.

Now, if you own a PSP and a copy of _Dissidia Duodecim, _then you're in luck!

Go to my profile and look for the link **Sky Tourneys Original Quest **to download an Original Quest created and inspired by this three-part event! Download it to your PSP, load on your Dissidia Duodecim game and enjoy! :D

And if you do download it, you'll check out a Coming Soon document inside. I won't say much. You'll have to check it out yourself ;)

_Don't forget to R&R! Reviews inspire me to write more chapters.  
_


	12. Ep10: Big Time Reunion

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

**A/N**: Happy B-Day to Logan! Same age as Carlos, he's turning 22 today! And to celebrate, here's another chapter for you Logey fans (and Final Fantasy fans also) to enjoy!

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Ep.10: __Big Time Reunion__**-**_

* * *

_Following their big time victory over Emperor Artemis and his Espers, and having won major popularity across Ivalice with a whimsical tune from their land of origins, the Warriors of Light__—__also known as Big Time Rush__—__are about to set out once again into the Final Fantasy skies to carry on their destined journey__…__ but this time, they__'__re not going alone._

_~Cid de la Lufaine~_

xXx

_Welcome to the Rabanastre Aerodrome. We__'__re pleased to offer skyferry service to your chosen destinations. _The PA radio blared across the Dalmasca Aerodrome.

It was very busy the day after the Ivalice Sky Tourneys. Of course it was obvious and expected, as half of these many people who came to participate in the tourneys came from out of town. Of course it wasn't just the out-of-towners that were filling up the Aerodrome. There was also an airship that got everyone's attention. It was the grand-prize of the Sky Tourneys, won by Big Time Rush following their heroic involvement against the Dark Emperor and his dark plot against Ivalice.

_Passages to Archades for singles are 300 gil__—__families, 600 gil__—__return fare not included. Kids ride free. _The PA radio blared again.

The airship was parked along with the other skyferries, and was spotted through a ceiling-to-floor window at a small alcove waiting area by many Dalmascan citizens. It looked like a massive dreadnought, similar to the Garland Airship. Its coated color was ivory white and its edgings were tinted of fine gold. The head of the ship once carried the flag of Dalmasca, was now replaced with a white flag carrying the crest of Cosmos. The airship was made public, and half of the Ivalice population was seen purchasing fares to board it. The Magick Sisters, Reina and Jack were apparently in charge of the airship business, sitting behind ticket booths to collect revenues.

"Thank you, sir!" Valerie greeted warmly, "Please take your ticket to the boarding gate to your right. The Airship will be leaving very soon."

Jack counted all the gils, grinning from ear to ear "Whoooo~! Would you look at all the cash we GOT! Jackpot!"

"I know, right?" Fate exclaimed, high-fiving Jack.

Tina, Chocolate and Ryuji spotted them behind the desk. They turned curious and nervous.

"Uhh, guys? What are you doing?" Tina asked. Chocolate cocked his head.

"What do you _think _we're doing?" Fate muttered. "We're collecting revenues."

"For a prize won by the Warriors of Light?" Ryuji blinked.

"You got a problem with that?" Reina asked Ryuji sternly. Ryuji frowned.

"We're getting people to board our airship!" Valerie explained, "People who are willing to pledge their service to the Warriors of Light and to fight alongside them on their destined journey to defeat Chaos and his Villains of Darkness."

"Plus they get special hotel and cruise treatment during the journey!" Jack explained, "It's a win-win!"

Tina and Ryuji briefly looked at each other then faced the group again.

"Okay…" Tina drawled, "But did you discuss this with the guys?"

The group froze up.

"Wait…" Aria turned to her companions, "Did _we _discuss it with the guys?"

There was an uneasy tension. The group suddenly dropped everything they were doing, Jack, Reina and Fate jumped over the desk while Aria and Valerie shuffled through the small doorway besides them, and all sped off for the airship, shoving and toppling customers and nearby travelers who were in the way. Customers quickly got tensed and started complaining.

xXx

The guys strutted down the massive Airship Atrium, admiring its fancy stylish look. It was like being on a cruise ship, except it wasn't one for the waters; it was a flying one. The atrium expanded over thousand of feet; fit for over a thousand people. There were dozens flight of stairs and many exits and entryways to various places on the ship. A large chandelier illuminated the atrium with its glorious light, and drawn around it and across the ceiling were masterpiece drawings—ancient but exquisite—of Cosmos, her 10 Warriors, and of course the Warriors of Light.

"There they are!"

The guys stopped numbly on their tracks. They saw the crowd of people pouring into the atrium and heading straight toward them.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" they screamed, yet they didn't have the chance to flee before the crowd could tackled them.

The OC characters entered the ship's atrium as well. Jack quickly went for a phone booth nearby, picked up the receiver and spoke. His voice rang across the ship's PA system.

_Ladies and gentlemen, you__'__d find this ship to be to your likings. But please quickly find your cabins where you will stay and don__'__t bother our fine heroes here if you don__'__t want to have your ticket and your pledge revoked. Thank you!_

The crowd heard the message and quickly left the heroes alone to mind their own business. The BTR guys recovered.

"What's going on?" James asked, blinking, "And why am I seeing stars?"

"Sorry guys," Aria said, "But we kinda took this airship to a whole new level."

"Say hello to the S.S. BTR!" Jack said, sweeping his arm across the atrium now full of people. "Accommodations to the S.S. BTR sponsored by Big Time Rush. Giving you the best entertainment most difficult to find in the entire Final Fantasy world."

"You're turning our airship into a cruiseship?" Kendall blinked.

"Cooool!" Carlos exclaimed and James agreed along, "I know, right?"

"But… isn't that gonna be a problem?" Logan said, "We don't have the necessary assets to hire people to provide services, like foods and entertainment, management and accounting, supplies and marketing…" he paused uncomfortably, "…oh! And who's gonna take care of the pets? Some of us hate cat stains, y'know?"

The boys agreed, reminiscent of their times at Gustavo's Mansion with Gustavo's cat.

"Wow! You guys catch up so well." Fate said cheerfully.

"Don't worry about a thing guys." Jack said, "I've organized the whole thing!"

All eyes turned blankly to Jack.

"…okay. _Half_ of the whole thing." Jack corrected, "But since your performance last night, we got like thousands of people—like warriors, magicians, and adventurers—willing help you guys on this whole defeat-Chaos-thing. So we've arranged them to make a pledge to us by boarding this ship and join us on the adventures beyond the Final Fantasy universe on the mission to defeat Chaos. Plus, they're all your newest biggest fans."

"Aaand, they're all getting a cruise ship special treatment." Valerie expanded her arms in the air cheerfully, "Yeaah!"

The guys turned enthusiastic. "Sweeet!" Carlos exclaimed.

"And we don't want to have another hollow airship anymore, like the one we've lost." Valerie begged.

"Oh, I hate a hollow airship." James said, "Not enough people to admire me."

Then Reina added sarcastically, "It's no wonder Barthandelus destroyed it."

"You can do whatever you want with the ship." Kendall said cheerfully.

"Good!" Jack replied, "Glad you feel that way. Because the airship business is our jobs only. _Your _jobs are to deal with all the dirty work. Later."

And the OCs took off in haste, leaving the guys speechless.

"Dirty work?" Logan repeated nervously.

"Who cares?" Kendall exclaimed, "The whole ship is like a party now! A social gathering! A get-together!"

"Now fit for over 3000 people." James added, "And they all like me—!" he then caught himself, "…I mean, us."

"Let's social gather!" Carlos cheered and the guys took off on their meet-and-greet.

xXx

_Passages to Archades for singles are 300 gil__—__families, 600 gil__—__return fare not included. Kids ride free. _The PA radio blared once more at the Aerodrome, where the 10 Warriors of Cosmos have gathered, not far from the ticket booths.

"Is it really necessary?" asked Terra, "I feel like we're stalking them."

"We're not stalking anybody. We're following somebody." Tidus clarified.

"I have to agree with Terra." Squall spoke, "Boarding the ship only makes us look desperate for their attention to this world."

"But isn't that what we want?" Tidus argued, "For the guys to care about the world's fate? Because I don't know if you've noticed, but we've lost Cosmos, and it won't be a matter of time till Shinryu comes in to judge this final match."

"I am fully aware that we've lost Cosmos." Squall argued, "We've ALL been there! We've ALL seen her go down! But I still say this is a bad idea!"

"Aw, come on!" Onion Knight argued, disappointment painted all over his face, "How long are we gonna have to wait for that opportunity. Huh?"

" 'Till another Warrior of Darkness strikes?" Tidus added.

"Oh hell no." Bartz said, shaking his head; then Zidane added, "Not gonna happen, man."

The warriors soon became tense and started arguing over their point of views. Cloud blew between his fingers, producing a whistling sound that subdued the argument.

"Look everyone." He said, "The idea here is that we board the ship, and we join them on their destined journey. They already know what they are supposed to do since they met Bahamut."

"Yes." Firion replied, "And that is to defeat Chaos."

"Exactly." Cloud agreed, "So we're boarding this ship." He then turned his attention toward Terra and Squall, who cringed to the idea, "…whether you like it or not."

"Right!" Tidus cheered, "So all in favor…"

"I don't like it." Warrior of Light interrupted Tidus's vote poll. All heads turned to his attention. Disappointment painted on the rest of the group's faces.

"Aww..." Tidus lowered his arm.

"And why not?" Cloud asked, his voice almost croaking with bitterness.

"Like Terra and Squall implied, it makes us look desperate." The Warrior replied, "And besides, these Warriors of Light… these Big Time Rush, they call themselves… still need time to deal with the fact that they have been chosen to defeat Chaos and end this war once and for all."

"Exactly." Terra and Squall agreed. Warrior of Light went on, "And we don't want to stress them out further by telling them that Cosmos passed away AND they got a limited amount of time to bring her back to life to prevent Shinryu's arrival. I mean, they shouldn't know about it just yet, right?"

Warrior of Light noticed Firion, Cecil and Cloud's tensed expression. He narrowed his eyes, "They SHOULDN'T know about it, right?"

"Arus," Firion began, addressing the warrior by his real name, "they HAD to know."

Warrior of Light scowled, "…okay, why?"

"Why?" Cecil's voice raised in shock, "Did you not see what happened to them with Artemis recently? Chaos did more than just kill Cosmos; he brought that Dark Emperor back from the depth of Hell." he looked over his group, "Their forces are not holding back! They are moving as we speak!"

"Cecil is right." Lightning, who was nearby joined the conversation as she stepped over to the Warriors of Cosmos, "And it's not just Artemis. Their old airship was destroyed by Barthandelus. Chaos brought him back as well."

The warriors exchanged voices of stunned revelation to the news. Two dark rulers brought back by Chaos was not faring well for the warriors of Light.

"Which is why they ended up in Ivalice." Tidus concluded, pointing out the result to the four guys' ordeal.

Lightning then turned back to the Warrior of Light, "So forget this 'let's lay low, or we don't want to look desperate' routine. This is war, not a kiddie game of _Call of Duty_."

"So it's decided then!" Bartz said, almost cheerfully, "We're boarding the ship!"

"I'll get tickets!" Zidane said and turned around.

"Fine." Warrior of Light sighed in defeat, "We'll board the ship and we'll acquaint the Warriors of Destiny. But don't mind me asking, do they know of Shinryu's coming?"

"No." Cecil replied.

"Good. Keep it that way till the time is right." And the Warrior stepped ahead. The rest of the crew followed.

xXx

_Attention passengers of the S.S. BTR, please join us at the Sky Deck to celebrate your well-deserved departure as we are ready to take off. Don__'__t forget to say goodbye to your loved ones by the port as they will be waiting for you._

_And once again give a big round of cheers and support to our newest heroes of Light, and hottest musical band Big Time Rush, as they are journeying into the sea of destiny for mankind everywhere! Say goodbye now!_

And just like that, the S.S. BTR hovered into the air. The mass crowd of Dalmascan citizens waved their goodbyes to their friends and beloved onboard the ship; a wave of cheers, applause and goodbye tears and kisses rippled through both crowds.

_Next stop__…__ into the beyond._

The massive airship zoomed into the sky, and the world of Ivalice soon became a distant speck for the ship.

xXx

-**S.S. BTR, Main Atrium-**

James waltzed down the main atrium. He was amazed by the number of people on board the ship, it was as if he was on a cruiseship… a flying cruiseship… and he loved it.

And it's not just because of the cruiseship crowd, but because of the attention he was getting. Everywhere he went, the people kept calling and screaming out his name in praise, and kept throttling him with autographs and picture requests. It was just like back in Hollywood, when he got popularity over the band and his pretty looks.

"Now that's what I call getting the special treatment." He smiled.

"Kupo-po!"

He turned around at the sound of Mog's voice. Mog and Vivi squeezed into the crowd to close in on James.

"James Diamond, right?" Mog squealed, "Tell me, Kupo! Tell all of your fans out here. And I want you to answer me fairly and truthfully, okay Kupo?"

James shrugged, "Ohh…kay." He smiled.

"How do you keep your hair so smooth?" Vivi asked.

"And the pretty face pretty clean?" some fans squealed and the rest squealed along.

"And the teeth all white?" Vivi curiously asked. "Don't forget the whitey teeth. My teeth are kinda not white. See?"

Vivi flashed a smile. It was like a pile of brown stuffings and dumps jammed to a garbage chute. Everybody cringed in disgust.

"_I _have a question for James Diamond." A voice was heard nearby, prompting everyone to turn to its source. There stood Kuja. The mage approached the group.

"Well... actually it's more of a comment than a question." Kuja smiled.

"Oh cool." James smiled back at Kuja.

"Yeaahh..." Kuja smiled back, "I must applaud you for your performance back in Ivalice." He chuckled, "That Emperor was nothing more but a chump."

James smiled again, proud of his accomplishment.

"But then again, hate to disappoint, but wannabes never prosper." when Kuja said that the crowd exclaimed an awe of tension, "Oooooh..." and James's smile vanished to a pissed-off glare.

"Take it from me, someone who's..." Kuja repeatedly snapped his fingers, as if trying to say something that somehow couldn't escape his lips. He faced James again, "What do you call someone who is reeeeally talented and is adored by many no matter how hard they try not to?"

"Oh yeaah…!" James grinned, "You mean like a diva?"

Ooooh… the crowd exhaled more awe of tension. Kuja's eyes narrowed deep and his smile no longer present.

James shrugged, "Would have said something else like a Prima Donna or a starlet or something, but your thong was kinda like a giveaway."

OHHHH! More mocked outburst from the crowd. Now Kuja's face wrinkled in fury. He swept his arm up and a ball of light shot out of his hand and exploded before the laughing crowd. Everyone jumped back, startled as the magic spread out in incinerating dusts.

"Never… mock me, James Diamond." Kuja threatened, "You do NOT want to see me being mocked."

"Oh yeah?" James said, "What are you gonna do about it?"

Then someone from the crowd began chanting, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" and the crowd joined in, "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

James and Kuja looked around the gathering crowd chanting that phrase and pumping their fists in the air, itching for that moment James would swing a punch at Kuja, and Kuja would shoot out a powerful Firaga at James.

But both characters stood still. James appeared nervous. Kuja could sense it.

"Looks like the crowd wants something." Kuja said.

And on cue, the crowd hollered cheers of approval. James nervously shook his head. It wasn't about not willing to fight Kuja, but his pretty boy face was on the line there. And every fight always ends up affecting the face: the eyes, the nose, the jaws…

"W-well, I…" he stammered, trying to come up with a good excuse to back out, "…I never fought before in my life. I don't think I'm cut out for this."

The crowd groaned. Some people in the audience started booing and soon the crowd followed. James didn't like that response, "Wh-hey! It's true! I don't wanna fight someone I don't know!" he lied. Of course, James was a terrible liar.

"But I know you full well." Kuja said, "Well enough to know that you're a chicken." He briefly paused, "_Bwack_!"

The crowd gasped in awe to Kuja's insult and cheered on as loud as ever. James glared daggers at Kuja. That insult did the trick. No longer he was thinking about his face, James stepped forward till he was nose-to-nose with Kuja. He was now fully determined to swing a fist at _his_ opponent's pretty boy face. Kuja was slightly shorter than James: kinda about Kendall's height.

"Well then," James said, "Bring on the chicken."

The crowd roared in cheers, but James went on over their cries, "Seven-thirty tonight. In this Atrium. Sharp."

"It's a date." Kuja answered, then walked away flipping his gray wavy hair back, its large strands slapped James's face on cue. James was all red. Veins pumped on his forehead and his fingers curled to fists. "Oh, believe me lady. It will."

xXx

"Hey Kendall."

Kendall heard Tina calling his name and turned to her attention. "Hey Tina." He smiled.

"Wanna grab lunch at the Mogstaurant?" Tina proposed. "Ryuji made some mean Calzones!"

The Mogstaurant was a restaurant run by Moogles. They served the best-tasting dishes that are world-class among the Final Fantasy universe, especially places where Moogles usually live. Ryuji was head-chef in that restaurant, and was apparently the only worker there who was not a Moogle.

"Nice!" Kendall said, "You guys eat Calzones here in this world?"

"Yeah!" Tina beamed, "You know calzones?"

"They're my favorites." Kendall replied, "That and Pizzas!"

"Sweet! Then—!"

"Kendall?" Another female voice called his name. Kendall turned around and immediately he stopped dead on his feet, bug-eyed, his smile completely gone at her sight. She was blonde, elegant, sported a majestic princess outfit but more importantly she looked just like his ex-girlfriend Jo!

"Princess Sarah…?" Kendall said her name.

"It is you!" The princess smiled, "My prince. My savior." She wrapped her arms around Kendall in a full embrace. Kendall felt her touch like a blazing sensual fire running through his nerves. Immediately he returned the hug. Tina stopped smiling when she saw Kendall paying all attention to the princess.

Kendall and Sarah pulled away, "I can't believe this…!" Kendall said, "Wait, what are you doing here? In this ship? Where is your father? Are you alone? Gosh, you look so beautiful."

Sarah laughed, not minding all the barrage of questions Kendall was bombarding her with. Kendall loved that laugh. It reminded him too much of his ex-girlfriend Jo Taylor. She always brightened up the room whenever she laughed. Gosh, he loved her and still missed her. The last time he and Jo spent time together was the day before she left for her big movie role in New Zealand not long ago. The pain of losing her was still fresh, even though he had managed to move on.

"Thank you." Sarah brushed a lock of her blonde hair over her ear, "Thank you. Actually, I came alone. Father and I came to Ivalice for the 12th Annual Sky Tourneys. That didn't turn out well as you can see."

Kendall nodded in agreement. What could have been a festive moment turned into something called an end-of-the-world scare for Ivalice when Emperor Artemis tried to use him and his friends to take down Ivalice's queen Ashe and strengthen the Chaos Warriors in the war. Luckily for the guys, the Emperor was defeated... for now anyway.

"…but when we saw that you guys were the ones who defeated that evil Emperor and won that ship, I just couldn't stand by and not see you." Sarah confessed.

"So, you came here without your father?" Kendall concluded.

"Ugh…what a rebellious child you are!" Tina said, forcing a smile through her teeth. Kendall finally noticed Tina and her Chocobo still standing behind them. Sarah giggled nervously.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Kendall stepped aside to introduce the girls, "Princess, this is my friend Tina and her Chocobo pal Chocolate. We've traveled together. Tina, this is Princess Sarah."

Tina offered a handshake but Sarah formally greeted with a curtsy, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Tina."

"Oh… r-right." Tina tried to curtsy but she was bad at it. Her legs crossed and her bending was sideways and out of shape. That made Kendall and Sarah laugh out loud. Even Chocolate was laughing.

"That's really funny Tina!" Kendall exclaimed.

"Way funny." Sarah agreed.

Tina noticed Chocolate laughing and ruffling its feathers like crazy. She pulled out her staff and swung. Chocolate plopped to the ground, no longer laughing.

"I will teach you how to curtsy later." Sarah cheerfully stated. Tina could feel an eye roll coming but she forced herself not to do it. Instead she forced a bitter smile.

"WHOA!" Kendall quickly shifted to Sarah, his face glimmered with an idea, "We should totally grab lunch and catch up!"

Hearing Kendall say that to Sarah had Tina get a huge knot in her stomach.

"That restaurant called Mogstaurant?" Sarah proposed, "I heard they make the finest calzones."

Tina gaped.

"You like calzones?" Kendall exclaimed, "Me too!"

Tina's jaws were now on the floor.

"Great. Then let us take our leaves." Sarah wrapped her arm around Kendall's and the duo left, no longer paying attention to Tina who was still frozen in shock.

Jack came up to Tina, eating a calzone, "Hey, China!" he said with his mouth full, "Gosh, Sheesh calzone is amaching. You should try shome." He cut a portion of the calzone and dropped it into Tina's open jaws.

But Tina didn't close her jaws.

He blinked, "You might wanna…" he pulled Tina's jaws from the ground, closed it to the calzone, and worked her jaws together, forcing her to chew, "There you go!"

xXx

"It's Astrolomog Kathy's Ultima Fortunes, here to give glints of hope in your rough journeys ahead."

Logan read the signpost besides a tent in the middle of one of the ship's busiest corridors. The tent had a dark-bluish color and was adorned with stars of the faintest orange glow. A crescent moon as sparkling as diamond was at the tent's peak and the entryway was covered with a velvet lilac sheet.

Carlos who was besides Logan lit up at the sight of the tent, curiosity already possessing him, "Ooh! Let's go in!" He stepped forward but Logan grabbed his arm, stopping his tracks.

"No, we can't." he shook his head, "It's too risky."

Carlos sighed, disappointed.

"And who the heck is this Astrolomog Kathy anyway?"

The lilac sheet ripped open and out stepped an elegant lady, "Why that would be me!" she cheerfully said.

"WUUAAAH!" Carlos and Logan jumped back, startled.

The lady before them was none other than Ultimecia. Of course they didn't know her yet. She sported the costume of her possessed shell Edea Kramer: a skin-tight dress of a black color with a purple gradient along the bottom, and with a plunging neckline and fur ruffle around her shoulders. The most striking of her appearance was the shell-themed headpiece adorned with jewels glued over her left temple with gold veins stretching over her cheek to her bright golden eyes.

Ultimecia smiled genuinely.

Logan gulped, "Are… y-you… Kathy…?"

"Why of course I am, handsome." Ultimecia said, gently running her slick yet monstrous finger over Logan's cheek down his chin, "Who would I be?"

"A witch." Carlos said.

Ultimecia glanced over at him, her smile still captivating; it got Carlos to change his tunes, "I mean…!" he gulped, "…not a witch per se. More like an… enchantress or… something."

Logan elbowed his friend to stop talking.

"Well, I have been called many things." Ultimecia said, turned on her heels and ripped open the sheet leading to the inside of the tent. She stepped asides and beckoned, "Right this way, little ones."

The duo entered the tent. It was quite large and spacious. The light was dimmed up on the top and their wall—or rather the fabric of the tent—all emitted dark purplish color. Sitting before them was a wooden table, covered by a jet black sheet, and on the table was not a Crystal Ball, but an actual Crystal, twirling in place and extracting its colored radiances like a disco ball at a nightlife dance party. Sitting on the other side of the table was yet another figure: Kefka Palazzo. He was outfitted with a turban colored in various shades of green with gold and some red details, puffed sleeves, and a green and yellow skullcap. Despite the atmosphere in the tent, the turban colors were easy to see. And so was his face: a light-skinned delicate face with an orange hue color, narrowed tired-looking eyes, but with a Joker's smile. A sinister face that was not at all welcoming.

"Okay, I'm leaving!" Logan turned around, ready to walk out. But Ultimecia towered over him, blocking his way.

"Wait a minute." Carlos wrapped one arm around Logan's shoulder while resting his other hand on his other shoulder. He leaned in to whisper, "This is good." His gaze knowingly at Kefka.

Logan blinked, staring at his friend before staring at Kefka. "Okay, how is that good?" He whispered back. Their gazes were still on Kefka, "These two looked like they got something on us!"

"Which is why it is good." Carlos replied, facing Logan, "Obviously they got something about us, something that could help us... or destroy us. So if we can find out what they are, we can take that to our advantage."

Logan was now facing Carlos, "Is that a plan I'm smelling?" he looked nervous, "Oh heck no Carlos, I am not falling into one of your plans again."

"Aw c'mon! My plans have always been flawless!"

"Really? Which one?"

"No time to dwell in the past!"

The two friends were now standing in front of the eccentric figure behind the table, grinning at him. "Heeyy…" they said nervously.

"Weelll…come. My fellow customers." The man behind the table spoke, "You must be the ones."

"Two of the Four Warriors of Light." Ultimecia replied, stepping over to the table to join Kefka, "We are very lucky to have you here."

"Very lucky."

"Ohh… shucks." Logan grinned while Carlos laughed nervously, "We are lucky indeed."

"Lucky as a rabbit's feet." Carlos commented.

"Foot."

"Right."

"And because you are so very lucky…" Kefka went on, "We're gonna read over your fortunes, for free."

Kefka moved his face up-close and personal to the guys. The guys leaned back, eyes wide open, "How does that sounds?" Kefka whispered hoarsely.

"Ohh…kay…" Logan and Carlos said together, chuckling nervously.

XxX

James couldn't believe that mage guy called him a chicken just because he didn't wanted to fight. James was no chicken, and when it comes to fighting he knew exactly where to deliver his punches, and where to block when on defense mode. The answers were both obvious: the face.

James was pissed off, but worried at the same time of the outcome to the upcoming fight at seven thirty that evening. His face was on the line there, but all he wanted was to teach this guy a lesson about respecting celebrities like James. Who did he think he is, he thought. To talk to him about fame and fortune like a noob?

But then again, James had no idea who he was and what was his beef. He may just as well be either a heckler or one of Chaos' Warriors.

Dismissing that thought he went on, stomping on the ship's floor and mumbling to himself when he crashed right onto someone. He stumbled, almost lost his balance but quickly stood firm. Angrily he turned to the person he bumped into, "HEY, WATCH IT PAL!"

Before he knew it the person swiftly turned around and thrust a powerful kick on his chest, "HIIIYA!"

James felt a blast of pain that pushed him down on his knees, then the person, who sounded like a girl, grabbed him in a chokehold and swung him over her, slamming his back onto the ship's floor. James yelped in pain.

The girl gasped, realizing what she had done, "Oh my gosh!" She ran up to James and knelt beside him, "Are you okay?"

James slowly opened his eyes to see the girl. She had long lavender hair, blue eyes and wore black shorts with a black top and frilly purple sleeves, a gold and silver peineta on her head, and tan boots. Like James she wore a blue crystal, but as an amulet on her chest. But the most striking feature about her was her pointed ears: Prishe!

"Y-yeah…" James squealed in pain, "I'm fine… ugh…"

"Here. Let me help you up." Prishe grabbed James' arm and slowly pulled him up, "Again, I am SO, so sorry. I thought you were a Warrior of Darkness. I never thought I'd pin down an actual Warrior of—!"

She was suddenly cut off when James yelled a Kung-Fu cry and pulled her down the ground so fast, she found herself under him. James posed with one fist tugged to his rib and another fist near her face.

"Well played, Young James." Prishe smirked, "Well played."

James stood up, his eyes widened, "How did you know my name?"

Prishe swung her legs up to her face then leapt forward back to her feet. She exhaled, brushing off her clothes, "Well, everybody knows James Diamond, One of the Four Warriors of Light bearing the Water Crystal of Light. Also known as Big Time Rush, if I'm correct."

Prishe rested her hand on her chest, "My name is Prishe. I'm one of Cosmos' Warriors." She looked over her shoulders, "The others should be on the ship also, but…" she turned back to James, "…guess we lost our way."

"Prishe huh?" James smiled, "For a girl, you really know how to kick butt."

Prishe grinned from ear to ear.

"Hey." James pointed, "Maybe you should teach me how to fight!"

"Don't you already know how to fight?"

"I have a big fight to win without affecting…" on cue he waved his hands over his face, "…this beauty."

Prishe nodded.

"So I really want to finish this guy before he can finish me."

"Let me guess." Prishe smiled, "His name is Kuja?"

James frowned. The one thing he failed to know about that mage guy was his name, "I…think you can call him that." He said.

Prishe pulled out a picture of Kuja from her black top and showed it to James. Immediately James turned red at his picture, "That's him!" he said bitterly.

"Figures." Prishe put away the picture, "You don't have to worry about him. I beat him once. I can help you beat him. It'll be like beating him again."

xXx

The Mogstaurant was quite fancy, with a slick mirror floor spreading out across the room and filled with thousand of tables and chairs made of fine gold and silver cushions. Each table had a muscaloe flower and was always decorated with the finest china plates, glasses and utensils, welcoming any guests for any occasion.

Ryuji came to a table, ready to take an order, "Hey guys, welcome to the Mogstaurant. I'm Ryuji and you will love my very special—!"

Ryuji froze when he saw who was at the table: Kendall and Princess Sarah, both of them laughing and smiling, and having a grand time. He couldn't stop staring at the princess… and then at Kendall… but mostly the princess.

"Tina?" he called her, hoping to think that he's not wrong with the mixed-up names.

"Oh no, that's not Tina." Kendall corrected Ryuji cheerfully, "That's Sarah."

Ryuji stumbled, "Sarah? As in the Princess Cornelia Sarah?"

"Yeah!" Kendall replied.

"It's so nice to meet you, Sir Ryuji." The princess smiled to the Dragoon. "Kendall speaks so fondly of you."

"Not _that_ fondly I hope!" Ryuji had a sweatdrop and looked nervous, "We barely know each other." He dropped his notebook and pen on the table, "Excuse me while I speak to my…" he pulled Kendall's ear, dragging him off his seat.

"OW!" Kendall jerked.

_"…__fond_ friend." Ryuji finished the sentence with a smile. His smile vanished to a cold stone face as he dragged Kendall away by the ear. "Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow."

Ryuji let go off Kendall. "OOOWW…" Kendall rubbed his ear.

"Dude. I thought you were having lunch with Sarah…" he quickly shook his head, "I mean, Tina!"

"I was." Kendall said, "…that was until I saw Sarah again." The smile returned to his face, "We have got to catch up."

Ryuji looked back at the princess who was alone at the table. He then faced Kendall again.

"Catch up on what? You barely met her." A gasp suddenly escaped his lips, "Are you still thinking about that girlfriend of yours again? Josefine what's-her-face?"

"It's _Jo. Taylor.__"_Kendall corrected him, "And _no_, I've moved _on_. I'm a new person now. Now if you'll excuse me, I got some catching up to do."

And Kendall was off again.

xXx

Back at the Atrium sitting area, Tina had told her friends the Magick Sisters and Jack on everything that happened with Kendall. She slumped forward glumly, with a fist resting on her chin. Valerie was braiding her hair, while Aria and Fate kept close to her company besides her. Chocolate was on the ground, still in pain from the blow Tina gave him on his head, and Jack sat across from the girls.

"I can't believe Kendall…" Tina muttered. "And that Sarah girl. What does she have that I don't have?"

"Money." Jack said, "Beauty." He paused, "Royalty." He smiled, "Blonde hair." He giggled, fantasizing.

Tina and the girls slowly turned to his attention, glaring.

He noticed the staring and his smile vanished, "Sorry."

Tina jerked up, "That's it!" she exclaimed, "I'll have blonde hair!"

Terra along with Onion Knight, Bartz and Zidane spotted the girls and Jack. They hid behind a ficus plant and spied on the group.

"Is that really necessary?" Fate asked, "Your hair is fine that way."

"No. I need a new look." Tina said, "If it's blonde ladies that Kendall likes, then it's blonde ladies he's gonna get… but where will I find a makeup artist to make me blond?"

That's when Zidane made his first move. "It's easy!" He said cheerfully as he left the ficus and approached the group. The startled others tried to stop him, not to meddle, but it was too late.

"We'll make your hair fantastic!" he said to Tina, "You won't even see a difference!"

The OCs appeared confused, "Wait…" Aria said, "Wouldn't blonde hair _be _different than black hair?"

Zidane paused, noticing his mistake, "…okay, you will _see_ a difference." He faced his comrades who were still hiding in the ficus, "Have you met my peeps?"

Bartz, Terra and Onion Knight finally left the ficus, no longer their hiding place since Zidane involuntarily called out to them.

"They are barbers, fashion artist, makeup extraordinaire…" Zidane hesitated.

"Think the word you're looking for is hairstylists." Aria helped him out.

"Right." Zidane replied.

The group was still staring at the new group that was with them. There was something different about these guys. Jack then pointed out the difference, as if he recognized them, "Aren't you guys Warriors of Cosmos by any chance?"

"Yes we are." Bartz truthfully said but then Zidane elbowed him to a lie, "NO, we're not!"

"We'll make your hair fantastic!" Zidane added. Tina smiled.

"Aw…" Terra giggled enthusiastically, "I always wanted to make people's hair. It's been my dream!"

"My dream is to become a man." Onion Knight muttered in complaint, "Not a lady." He glared at Zidane hissing, "I haven't even reached puberty yet and you're already turning me into a freak!"

XxX

Back at the Astrolomog Kathy's Tent. Carlos and Logan exchanged nervous looks before eyeing Kefka and Ultimecia. The silence felt very long and painful, until Kefka finally spoke the first words,

"So…!" he said, "How would you like to hear your fortunes?"

The guys were still silent.

"I know!" Kefka turned to Ultimecia, "Why not let Ultimecia read your fortunes."

Ultimecia menacingly glared at Kefka. Kefka put his hands over his mouth as he just realized the mistake he just made. The guys once again stared puzzlingly at each other.

"I'm sorry, did you just called Kathy Ultimecia?" Logan asked.

"It's only a nickname." Ultimecia corrected, "Given to me by my very own, very stupid cousin Kefka Palazzo. Please forgive his manners."

"Just so you know, _Kathy_." Kefka bitterly said to the witch, "Your cousin is not that stupid!"

As Kefka and Ultimecia went on arguing, Carlos noticed a torn page of an article scotched at the far corner of the tent behind the villains. The article was from an old Bonga Bugle issue. The title: "Great Astrolomog Kathy: grandiose achievement in past, present, and future predictions." The picture on the torn issue: A Moogle with spectacles! The subtitle under the photo was a giveaway: Kathy.

Carlos stared at the picture for a good moment, before his eyes slowly moved to meet Logan's. Logan frowned, puzzled by his friend's sudden pause. Carlos pointed him the picture. Now Logan was frozen solid.

The villains have finished talking about the future and all their mumbo-jumbos when the two friends finally turned back to them.

"So…!" Kefka moved his fingers around in a sinister fashion, "What do you want to know? We can talk about your love life."

"Like one of you four will finally have closure with the love of your life." Ultimecia predicted.

Carlos and Logan stood frozen.

"Okay, they may be impostors." Logan whispered to Carlos, "But they are _really _lousy at predicting the future."

"…Something's not right here." Carlos looked askance, "Something weird…"

Kefka kept playing with his fingers, his jaws widened to a frightening grin. Ultimecia looked no different, quietly giggling to herself. That made Carlos and Logan twice as nervous as before.

xXx

**"**Let's get started!" Both Prishe and Zidane yelled out in two scenarios. Prishe was pumped in training James in the art of fighting. Zidane and his crew were pumped to give Tina's hair a treat. Well, him except Onion Knight who was very skeptical about the idea.

Prishe taught James a sequence of kicks, punches, and flying blows; which James obviously failed at it since he wasn't that much of a gymnast. So Prishe decided to go onto the gymnastic lessons; but James was highly opposed to it. His reputation as a guy was on the line and feared that onlookers would point and make fun of him. So Prishe decided to bring a Ninja to challenge James in the acrobatic arts. The Ninja walked through walls, ceilings, and threw surprise attacks at James. James tried to pound on the Ninja, just once… but the Ninja was too swift for him.

Tina and the gang took over a spa room located northwest of the S.S. BTR. Zidane and crew gathered up the essential products for Tina's hair. The Magick Sisters and Jack took Tina to a makeup room, twirled her chair away from the mirror and wrapped a white sheet around her shoulders, leaving only her face and head of hair exposed. Tina appeared excited for this extreme makeover.

Finally James decided to go to acrobatic classes with Prishe. Little by little, and yet at such short amount of time, he managed to learn the basics of wall-walking, ceiling-walking and even air dash and break his fall. He challenged the ninja once more who still proved to be a pain in the butt with his Vanish attack and surprise attacks. But James quickly outnumbered the Ninja. The ninja vanished and in a split-second James delivered an Aurablast in the ceiling. The ceiling reflected the Aurablast and a rain of Aurablasts came down on the arena, eventually striking down the Ninja out cold.

Back in the makeup room, the gang put on some Vaseline on Tina's hair, then in one bowl mixed together some hair dye and highlight dye. They poured them all on Tina's hair and started massaging it. Tina felt like she was having a spa treatment… free of charge of course.

More gymnastic practices and monk-style fighting for James, and now it's time for the flying punches and kicks. All he had to do was to apply air-dash with a kick or a punch coming with it. But everytime he tried that he would land hard on the ground. Prishe encouraged him with more practices. Finally he was nailing it.

HIIIYAAAAAAA!

James dashed toward Prishe, then launched at the cardboard she was holding with a flying kick. The board split in two and James' feet connected into Prishe's ribs, sending her flying straight to a wall. The wall crumbled onto her and she was gone into that billowing cloud of smokes and debris.

James landed firmly on the ground. He ran to Prishe to see if she was okay.

The smoke cleared up. James could see Prishe. She looked fine, although she had some bruises from the wall rush she just had and was covered in dusts.

"Perfect!" she smiled while still coughing. James smiled back.

"You are now… cough… hack… ready to deal with Kuja!"

James victoriously pumped his fist in the air.

"Now… cough-cough! Get me out of that smoke… hack…!"

"Right." James carried Prishe to his arms and ran off.

xXx

"BEHOLD!" Bartz waved his arms in the air, "…my latest masterpiece. From the lover of all adventures, you will LOVE this latest beauty."

Zidane, Onion Knight, Terra, the Magick Sisters, Chocolate and Jack gathered around Bartz and Tina. Bartz removed the sheet off Tina's head to reveal her new hairdo.

The small crowd broke into shallow gasps.

Tina's hair was neither blonde, nor brunette. It was pink! A light cherry color like the kind of pink seen in little girls' room, the kind of pink in little dolls' clothing, the kind of pink seen in Strawberry milk, ice cream and Pepto-Bismol. Worse, it was glowing, shimmering under the makeup lights of the room.

"What do you think guys?" asked Bartz. Tina smiled, unaware of the abysmal result her friends thought possible.

Onion Knight tossed a towel he was holding, "I'm out," and then walked away. The small crowd remained silent. Tina's enthusiastic smile started fading, realizing something was wrong.

"WOAAOW!" Jack broke the silence, "I gotta say this is the best hairdo ever!"

Tina's smile returned, "Really? You think it's gonna catch Kendall's attention?"

The small crowd laughed, exchanging positive, but still painful responses, "Ohh, YEAAAH… it'll blow his mind!" Jack exclaimed.

"A lot of minds." Fate joked.

"Okay maybe not a lot." Aria argued.

"I'm scared…" Valerie mumbled, with Terra agreeing, "Me too."

Silence again.

"…but it's not finished!" Zidane suddenly announced, much to Bartz's surprise, "It's not?"

"No." Zidane gnashed his teeth, glowering at Bartz, "It's not! In fact," he then sneaked behind Tina, "this next one requires Anesthesia."

"Ana what now?" Tina turned to look at Zidane but next thing she knew she felt something very heavy land on her head then everything went black. Zidane had pulled out his daggers and with sheer force slammed Tina's skull with its hilt.

With Tina unconscious, Zidane could now scream at Bartz, "WHAT THE HELL, BARTZ?"

"You TOLD me to do my best!" Bartz argued.

"Yeah, not to murder her hair!" Zidane argued back, "The girl said she wanted blonde hair. By blonde hair I mean sheer luscious blonde hair the luscious color of vanilla pudding. Not the color of strawberry shortcake!"

"I told you we couldn't trust them!" Jack snapped at the girls before facing the Warriors of Cosmos, "Y'all the worst hairstylists ever!"

"Jack." Aria said, "You never said once that they were the worst hairstylists ever. Heck, you asked them for their business cards!"

Jack stood still. "Yeah?" He pulled out the business card and tore it up, "…well, now I don't have to call you." He flipped the torn pieces in the air like confetti then like a spoiled child mumbled to their faces, "I'm not getting pink hair."

xXx

Back at the Astrolomog Kathy's Tent,

"Would you really like to know which one of you four will finally have closure with the love of your life?" Ultimecia asked.

"Okay, why would we have closure with the love of our lives, when we didn't even MEET the love of our lives?" Logan exclaimed, "What kind of an astrolomog are you?"

"A really good one I gotta tell you that." Kefka said before cracking his signature laugh: a high-pitched whooping cackle that sent chills down the guys' spines.

Carlos straightened, as if he knew that laugh.

"So…" Kefka went on, "If I were you, I would put all of my predicting eggs into the basket of Kathy over here and go with the flow."

"Wait a minute…" Carlos said, staring calculatingly at Kefka with a glimmer of knowledge in his chestnut eyes, "I know you."

Ultimecia looked tense. Logan turned curious. Kefka's eyes widened, "Uhh… no you don't." his laughter turned nervous.

"Yes…" Carlos moved closer, "…I do." He then pointed, "You're that creepy clown who captured me the other day and replaced me with that impostor of mine Solrac."

"What?" Logan gaped.

"Oh! Oh!" Ultimecia laughed, "You kids and your imagination." She then glared at Kefka from one eye's corner, still smiling through her teeth, "I told you not to do the cackle."

Kefka slammed his hands on the table, "You can't prove anything!" he barked, glowering at his rival.

"Logan." Carlos called, his sharp eyes still meeting Kefka's psycho ones. He tugged his hand before Logan, "Summon me a glass of water, please."

Logan pointed on Carlos' hand and _Zing! _A glass of water shimmered into view from a cloud of mist and sparkles. Carlos, now with the water glass on hand moved it closer between him and Kefka. He smiled then chugged the liquid to Kefka's face.

Kefka startled. Everyone jumped off their seats to avoid the splash. The orange hue paint on Kefka's face and skin vanished to reveal the blemish dry color with deep-rooted clown makeup. Logan's jaws dropped. Ultimecia stared back with widened eyes.

Carlos smiled, "Now I can prove something."

"Clown!" Logan screamed.

Kefka growled.

"Well…" Ultimecia proceeded to remove her costume also. With a snap of the finger, her black skin-tight dress flickered out only to be replaced in a split-second by her original red velvet gown costume, "Looks like we got busted."

Logan looked on in panic to Ultimecia's transformation. But Carlos managed to stand on his ground.

"GRAAAAWWL!" Kefka's high-pitched scream shattered the Crystal on the table, startling the guys, "This was my best costume yet! The makeup was expensive!"

He slammed his hands on the table and slowly stood up with a grim look on his face. Carlos and Logan stared in fright. "You…" he grinned, "…are gonna pay… dearly for it."

"RUNNN!" Logan screamed and Carlos followed. The guys took off running in panic. Kefka leapt over the table and gave chase. Ultimecia snapped her fingers again and her delicate form shifted into a black crow with flashing golden eyes. The crow took flight out of the tent.

xXx

Tina slowly opened her eyes, out of what felt like a long sleep. She didn't remember even falling asleep, but while she was dreaming she could have sworn to have heard small noises… accusing voices saying all negative things about her hairstyle. Something that she was afraid to hear was her having the worst hairstyle. It was a good thing that she was changing it to blonde. All to impress Kendall of course.

She blinked and there she saw Zidane, Terra, and Bartz's faces hovering before her. Then Chocolate, the Magick Sisters and Jack were also seen behind them.

"Hiiii, Tina." They all waved at her.

"Hiiiii…" Tina sounded groggy.

"You had a good sleep?" Bartz asked her.

"Yeah, I don't remember getting tired." Tina confessed.

"It's the Anasthesia." Zidane giggled.

Fate shook her head, muttering, "No it's not."

Zidane, Bartz and Terra still smiled, though they were tensed smiles. Tina smiled back, the effects of the blow she got made her not care about anything right now. It was like a drug.

"Oh my gosh, this is horrible!" Valerie exclaimed. All eyes glared at her. She hesitated, "…that we've missed out on the Fifth Anniversary of Lady Ashe and her late-husband Lord Rasler's Wedding! Supposed to be a big celebration."

The group ignored Valerie.

"So." Tina said, "When do I get to see my new look?"

"Well…" Zidane was about to speak when Carlos and Logan's scream sharply cut him off.

Carlos and Logan's scream soon reached the entire ship and the crowd in the ship watched them take off across the Atrium. Ultimecia in her Crow Form and Kefka were hot on their trails, with thousand of zombies and ghosts sprawling behind.

The onlookers ran out of the way screaming and watched the villains and the monsters zooming right past them, barely knocking some of them outta the way. The monsters took off leaving a powerful gust of wind that almost carried them off their feet.

"Why couldn't you just leave bad enough alone, Carlos?" Logan screamed, "Now they're gonna finish us for GOOD!"

"Aw, man!" Carlos lamented, "Now we're in big time trouble!"

Prishe and James suddenly dropped from the ceiling and in front of Carlos and Logan, stopping their tracks. James sported a blood-red kung-fu outfit. His hair tied to a matching bandana. Carlos and Logan immediately got out of the way. Kefka and Ultimecia stopped. The zombies and ghosts fled.

"Now, James-San!" Prishe ordered.

"Stand back, _Gakusei._" James grinned.

"Uh-oh." Kefka squealed.

"HA!" Both James and Prishe tugged their fists toward their opponents and flying punches pelted on Kefka and Ultimecia in multiple combos. The duo then threw a two-hit uppercut-and-meteor smash-combo, drilling them to the ground, and finished with Spin-hook kicks, sending them flying straight to a cocktail bar. All the bottles and glasses shattered in millions of shards. That quickly got the crowd's attention.

Kefka and Ultimecia's bodies suddenly disintegrated into crystallized bodies and vanished in smokes: Manikins in disguises!

"HA!" Prishe and James posed.

The crowd cheered and hooted.

"Whoa! How did you do that?" Carlos exclaimed.

"Yeah! How did you do that?" Logan repeated.

"Little bit of monk-style practice." Prishe replied before bowing to James. James bowed also. "You've done exceedingly well, Young James."

"_Arigato_, Master _Sensei._" James spoke, as if in a dramatic Japanese karate movie where everything he said were translated in subtitle, [_I did everything I could, to impress you and your dynamic wits. Like they say, the student_…] he raised an eyebrow and broke the fourth wall, […_has become the master._]

Prishe stopped smiling, "Okay, that's my line." She interjected, "…and uh…don't talk like that."

James cleared his throat and his voice returned to normal, "Got it."

"Sweet!" Prishe said, "Now you're ready to face-off against Kuja!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Tina's blood-curdling scream echoed across the ship. All heads turned to her direction. She stomped into the Atrium and the crowd broke into a mixture of gasps and whispers at the sight of her hair.

Her friends and the Warriors of Cosmos followed. "Tina we're sorry! We did everything we could!" Zidane exclaimed.

"No, WE did everything we could." Bartz yelled at Zidane, "YOU stood back and did NOTHING!"

"But look at her hair!" Valerie exclaimed, "It's hideous!" then Aria added, "Real hideous." And Fate finished, "Horrendous beyond belief."

Tina pulled the scarf of her white mage outfit, hiding her now glowing pink hair. Her flushed face matched the color. "DON'T TELL ME TWICE!" she barked, "OR THREE TIMES!"

"I think it's cute." Reina who was nearby mockingly joked. All eyes stared blazingly at her. "What?" she exclaimed, "I'm not entitled to my opinion?"

"We did a horrible thing." Terra complained, "What is your boyfriend gonna say now when he sees this!"

"Your boyfriend?"

Tina's face was now a blood-red color when she heard Kendall say that. She slowly turned around to face him. And Kendall was shocked to see her face under that glowing pink hairstyle.

"Tina?" he approached her, "Wh-what happened?"

"What happened?" She hissed, "YOU made it happen! I was trying to come up with a new look to drag your attention away from Princess Sarah—and now my hair is R-R-R-R-U-U-U-U-U-I-I-I-I-I-I-N-N-N-N-N-E-E-E-ED…"

James, Carlos and Logan all turned to Kendall, stunned, "Princess Sarah?"

"Now, now wait a second here guys." Kendall said, "Princess Sarah and I are not an item. Believe me."

"You were having lunch with her." Ryuji who joined in the conversation reminded him. "Told me straight up you wanted to catch up." Now James, Carlos and Logan looked twice as shocked, staring at Kendall hoping for an explanation.

"Okay…" Kendall admitted, "I was. But… see… I'm not in love with her. I'm in love with Jo."

Silence.

"Well, not anymore in love with Jo… because…" he sighed, "…okay. The only reason why I wanted to hang out with Princess Sarah and wanting to catch up with her was because I wanted to have closure with Jo. And because Sarah reminds me too much of Jo, I had to do it. Jo and I never got that chance to have closure when she left for that big movie role." He faced his three best friends when he said these three words, "remember?"

"Right… we had difficulties cheering you up." James remembered.

"Exactly." Kendall went on, "So, I explained to the Princess everything that went on in my life and she gladly accepted taking the role of my ex-girlfriend. She understood me, I understood her. We finally had that closure we deserved to have." He then corrected again, "Me and _Jo._"

The crowd who was listening broke into sighs and awes.

"Oh, I see. Closure." James said with a smile, "Kinda like when you forgot your good-bye kiss."

"GAAAAAASSSSSSP!" The crowd gasped in horror at that sentence. "…you… forgot… the goodbye kiss? THAT'S YOUR—!"

"Yes! Yes! I know. It was our thing." Kendall quickly interrupted, easing the crowd's tension. "We've been through this already."

He then turned over to Tina, "By the way, the princess left the ship to return to her father. So you don't have to worry about her anymore."

"Ohh! _That__'__s_ what the fortune teller was saying earlier," Carlos said, "'one of you four will finally have closure with the love of your life'."

"Carlos, that fortune teller was Ultimecia." Logan reminded Carlos, "And that freak with her was Kefka."

The four Warriors of Cosmos gasped when Logan said these two names. Kefka and Ultimecia were on this ship? Before they could say that, the Warrior of Light Arus spoke from amongst the crowd as he stepped over to join the heroes. He was with the rest of the Cosmos' Warriors, "Wait a minute…! Kefka and Ultimecia were on this ship?"

"I told you they were in trouble." Cloud said to the Warrior. "They needed our full undivided protection."

"You know these guys?" Logan asked Arus.

"Know them?" Terra answered, "They're Warriors of Chaos. What are they doing here on this ship?"

"Oh, they're not the only ones." Prishe said, "Kuja came to James. Wanted to deal with him one-on-one."

Before everyone could cried out "What?" James reassuringly said "Don't worry guys. Prishe prepared me." He struck a Kung-Fu pose, "I'm ready for him."

"So you're ready huh?" Kuja spoke, and the crowd began to cheer. Kuja descended from above, gracefully floating inches from the slick ship floor, and couple of feet facing James.

"Then, let's duel."

James took a fighting pose, "Then let's."

"Theatrhythm style." Kuja snapped his finger and the entire Atrium transformed. Its color, texture morphed into the graphic style of _Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. _James was on the right, with Kuja on the left. They stood before an audience like in a musical stage.

A Chibi version of Axel descended before the audience on puppet strings and broke the fourth wall with the most adorable Chibi voice ever. "WeLcOmE To ThE ThEaThRhYtHm BaTtLe MuSiC SpEcTaCuLaAaAaAaR! ArE Y'aLl ReAdYyYy, PaRtY PeOpLlLlLeEeEeEe?"

"REAAAAADDYYYYY!" the audience cheered in their own Chibi chipmunk voice also.

"StArT!"

"A PeRfOrMaNcE fRoM YoUrS TrUlY," spoke Chibi Kuja in his Chibi voice also, "YoUr SpEcIaL ReQuIeM!" Then a chipmunk music of, 'S'Aimer by Phil Control' began to play. Of course the song wasn't an FF or a BTR song. It was totally different but totally cute in Chibi chipmunk format. Chibi Kuja swung his arms around at every bang, slams and hits to the tune as if he was conducting the music himself. Chibi James stood there confused, until the bang, slams and hits that Chibi Kuja kept throwing in the air unleashed invisible forces that struck Chibi James at every tempo and rhythm to the song, Theatrhythm Battle Music Style!

"Ow! oW! OWWW! HEEYY! No FaI—OWW!"

The audience cheered on.

"WhAt Is GoInG On?" squealed Chibi Kendall in the audience to Chibi Prishe.

"I dUnNO! I ThOuGhT We wAs hAvInG a ReAl FIGHT! NOT An ThEaTeR TrAsH BaTtLe!"

"DiD sHe JuSt SaY a BaAd WoRd?" squealed Chibi Logan.

"... ..." Chibi Carlos was mute.

"Ow! oW! Ow! oW! Ow! oW! Ow! oW! Ow! oW! Ow! oW! OWWW!"

"HeRe CoMeS tHe FiNaLe!" Chibi Kuja cracked his knuckles and delivered the final note, which unleashed thousand of Holy Spells, raining down on Chibi James like downpour. The final note went into a fade out The audience roared in cheers and applause.

Before everyone knew it the entire ship returned to its original color and form, and everyone was no longer in these cute Chibi forms anymore.

_[Final Fantasy victory fanfare + BTR 'Famous' victory fanfare – VILLAINS' STYLE]_

The crowd broke into groans and sighs for the defeated James. James was on a couch, exhausted like he had danced for one hour straight without stopping. His friends, along with the heroes of Cosmos and the OCs were around him, with some trying to fan him with a large handfan one of the Magick Sisters had summoned.

Kuja scoffed, "Pathetic." He turned around, his back facing James and haughtily flipped his gray hair like a diva, "Talent can sometimes be cruel. Wake me up when you get one."

He vanished in a fade-out and the crowd started booing. James grumbled angrily. Finally the crowd dispersed to mind their own business.

The guys approached James. "James, you're okay?" Kendall asked him.

James sighed, "…yeah. I guess… I'm not cut out for this. I mean, I hate the guy but... he's really talented."

"What are you talking about?" Carlos argued, "You're twice as talented as he is!"

"Yeah, if it wasn't because of your dream to become famous, we wouldn't have made it as Big Time Rush." Logan said.

"Don't worry about it James." Tina said, "Someday, you're gonna teach that Kuja a lesson, thetra…whatever or not."

James and the guys cheerfully pumped their fists in the air.

"Not when I can help it." Zidane added, "Kuja needs more than just being taught a lesson."

Tina turned her attention to Zidane, Bartz and Terra. "…yeah, speaking of teaching lessons." her fingers danced in the air and Poof! A formal piece of documents appeared to her grasp in pink dusts and sparkles, "…I'm filing a lawsuit."

She handed him the lawsuit just as a judge magister stepped in before Tina.

"What?" Zidane exclaimed, "What for?"

"Hair abuse!" Tina said, "I'll see you in court. Come on, Chocolate." Tina walked away and her Chocobo followed behind.

"UH-OH! UHOH! OHHHH!" the Warriors of Cosmos muttered together, as if in harmony to the _Big Time Rush _theme song.

Zidane turned on his heels and took off running.

"Hey, where are you going?" Bartz shouted.

"AS FAR AWAY FROM THIS PLACE AS POSSIBLE!" he shouted, "YOU CAN'T PROVE ANYTHING!"

* * *

**Author****'****s Note**: Hope you enjoyed **Big Time Final Fantasy**. I am ending this story as of today.

Just kidding! LOL ROFL! My plan actually is to take a break from posting out new chapters this year. So therefore the final chapter for this year will be up on Kendall's birthday: November 2nd. New chapters will be back next year. I'll let you know when via Twitter. In the meantime, here's a preview.

* * *

**On the Next Episode of _Big Time Final Fantasy_**

_-_Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan reminisce and look back at all their Big Time Rush adventures from Minnesota, to Hollywood, to the day… everything changed.

"Hey what is that?" James said as the guys gather around a package from inside their Palm Woods' crib.

Kendall opened the package to reveal the Grimoire (from FF Tactics A2)

"What kind of book is that?" Logan wonders.

"A magical one?" Carlos wonders.

Kendall flips through the pages. He stares.

"The pages are blanked."

A strong wind overwhelms the crib and the boys screamed and struggled to hold their balance. The Grimoire flipped its pages violently through the winds.

_Find out exactly how the guys entered the Final Fantasy__…_

* * *

**…****on the final _Big Time Final Fantasy_ episode of the year****…**** on Kendall****'****s birthday.**

**~Big Time Grimoire~**


	13. Ep11: Big Time Grimoire

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

**A/N**: Happy B-Day, Kendall! He's 21 today and that's Big Time stuff! So to celebrate, here's a special chapter for the Kendall fanatics out there to enjoy!

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Ep.11: __Big Time Grimoire__**-**_

* * *

Inside the SS. BTR's world-famous Mogstaurant. A restaurant run and operated by Moogles from all over the Final Fantasy. The restaurant had a two-for-one feast special and its number of customers was twice as packed as ever.

Carlos Garcia let out a loud burp and collapsed in his seat, his stomach felt like the size of a mountain after a satisfying lunch with his buddies, the OCs.

"Wow… Honeysuckle Ham, Turkey with fried-stuffing, spicy cinnamon lattes… nothing beats a good lunch like the 2-for-1 Feast Special."

"You tell me…" James sighed, feeling full as well, "Boy I'm stuffed."

"You should thank Mog for making this food." Ryuji said, "He makes the best foods ever! And less than 9 minutes even!"

"Delish!" Logan licked his lips.

"So we talked about our adventures!" Tina said, "What should we do next?"

"Hello everyone!" came the cheerful voice of Tidus. All eyes turned to him and the rest of the Heroes of Cosmos—Warrior of Light Arus, Firion, Onion Knight Luneth, Cecil, Bartz, Terra, Cloud, Squall, Zidane, Vaan and Lightning. The group greeted them cheerfully.

"Good to see you again guys!" Kendall said, "…wait. Where's Kain? And Tifa and Laguna?" he asked, noticing the three was not with the group.

"They left the ship on sidequests." Lightning replied.

"So now it's just us thirteen." Vaan added.

"Thirteen is a lucky number." Firion said.

"And the name of our latest album!" Carlos gleefully exclaimed, "Remember guys?"

The guys lit up as well, "Oh yeaah!"

"Wait, album?" Aria asked.

"We made an album before we ended up in the Final Fantasy." Kendall recalled, "It had by far the best songs we've made."

"Went to Number 1 on the Billboard!" James said, "Man… that brings back memories. Felt like yesterday."

"More like thirteen yesterdays." Logan said with a sigh. The guys sighed as well.

"Uh-oh." Jack peeked at the clock hung on the restaurant's upper wall, "We gotta go. Gotta make the ship run." He faced the other OCs, "You guys coming?"

"Aww…" Valerie muttered, "I wanted to hear their thirteenth story."

"Sounds like a boring story." Fate said before pulling Valerie off her seat and the OCs departed, "No offense!" Fate shouted as they were distant away.

"Save desserts for us, 'kay?" Tina said to the guys and she too was gone. The Heroes of Cosmos took their seats, joining the guys.

"Y'know," Luneth began, "We've heard so many ones of our Final Fantasy stories. But we've never heard of _your_ Final Fantasy stories."

"Yeah, how did you come about this place?" Bartz asked the guys, "We're curious to know."

Cecil nodded, "Hmm, really curious."

"Did you steal something?" Zidane asked. "Hey! That was my line!" Vaan complained.

"James and Carlos stole a cow." Logan said. Carlos and James gasped, "Hey! It was for a Sciences Project." James protested. His face then turned pouty, "…which Kendall won."

"…and suffered through." Kendall protested.

"Have you ever confronted a bad Sin?" Tidus asked.

"Had to cross time?" Squall asked.

"Had to fight rebels?" Cloud asked.

"Had to destroy a city?" Lightning asked.

"Were you ever captured?" Terra asked, "Like… by an evil psychotic villain?"

The heroes started bombarding the guys with all sorts of questions.

Arus whistled, calming the group down, "Everyone, please." He said with a calm tone, "Our guests haven't answered our questions yet."

All heads turned to the guys, awaiting their answer.

"Well, we haven't done those." Kendall began, "or dealt with wacky situations like these, but… we can tell you exactly what happened to us the day before we got into the Final Fantasy."

xXx

**FLASHBACK**

**...  
**

~**13 weeks and 13 hours earlier ****…**~

Paparazzi and news reporters swarmed Rocque Records. Their numbers were large enough to fill the front entry and the parking lot. Big Time Rush has gone Platinum with their latest album and their famous name skyrocketed the Billboard chart! And Hollywood was all at a buzz, celebrating their Big Time Fame with a dinner banquet and many, many interviews.

"I am here in front of Rocque Records to give you viewers, some up-to-date news on Big Time Rush's delicious dinner event Big Time Banquet, commemorating their latest smash hit album '_Thirteen_' " She paused, "I'm Cinder Takahashi Mitsu from Good Day LA."

Rocque Records' Party Hall was also filled with people: families, friends, colleagues and many others who know Big Time Rush all very well. There were also many journalists talking and laughing amongst themselves and enjoying some delicious fancy treats like chicken wings and some punches. Big Time Rush's music '_Superstar_' was in the background.

"Griffin!" Kelly greeted the CEO Arthur Griffin.

"Kelly!" Griffin exclaimed with cheers.

"Great to see you again, sir! How's your trip to Paris?"

"Oh, my trip was _fantastique_! As the French would say it! Now how are the guys?" He then looked around, "And where's Gustavo!"

Kelly opened her mouth to speak.

**"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"**

Gustavo Rocque's scream echoed across the streets of L.A., forcing even those outside Rocque Records to turn their heads up the Building, and pigeons to fly in distress.

All heads turned to Kelly's direction. Kelly then turned around. The party watched the four guys run across the studio's hallway, laughing out loud in tears. They slid to a full stop at the sight of Kelly, Griffin and everyone else at the party.

"Oh!" James blinked, "We're having a party?" He said gloatingly.

"This oughta be good." Griffin sniggered, glancing at the guys' tuxedos with bright-colored ties, but stained with some dark-brown smudges releasing questionable odors.

"What did you guys do to Gustavo?" Kelly's nose wrinkled.

The guys opened their mouths to speak when Gustavo showed up. The party gasped at his sight and swiftly backed away. He was covered in horse doo and the short hair around his ears was wild like a mad scientist. Kelly's jaws dropped. The guys exploded with laughter. Soon the party joined in. Griffin didn't laugh… or at least he tried not to.

"What's that…?" Kelly winced in disgust, "What's that smell?"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK?" Gustavo barked, closing in on the group. They recoiled from the stench he was extracting. He jabbed a finger at them, "ASK THEM HOOLIGANS!"

The guys stifled, "Uhh… Gustavo…?" Kendall whispered, "…y'know we got company right?"

"But hey, don't spoil the party!" James cracked up.

"Uhh… I think he already did." Carlos waved his hands over his nose and the party exploded with laughter again. Tears literally filled up the audience's eyes.

Kelly glanced back at Griffin, "Sir! Aren't you gonna do something about this?"

Griffin finally relaxed his face, taking on a serious tone. He handed his snacks over to his assistant and stepped forward the guys and the still-fuming Gustavo. His nose tightened at the strong smell. The boys quieted down.

"I've gotta say, boys." He spoke, "I am very disappointed in you."

The boys said nothing. Griffin then turned to Gustavo, "… and I've gotta say, Gustavo… that this is formal wear only, not Halloween."

The boys and the party exploded with laughter again. Kelly's jaws dropped. Gustavo's eyes bugged-out.

Griffin turned to face the laughing party, and it got silent as a cricket at his condemning stare.

"Oh, so you think this is ugly?" Gustavo interjected. No one answered. His doo-covered face suddenly cooled down and he slowly stepped back, "Okay… All right." He walked backward, "… you want ugly?" he pointed threatening fingers at the guys, "You four… are gotta get…" he breathed evilly, "…ugly."

The guys could still see the fire burning in Gustavo's eyes. They turned nervous. Gustavo turned on his heels and walked off.

"I'm scared." Logan gulped.

"You boys should be." Griffin said, "I've never seen Gustavo this mad since…" he paused, "…well, to be honest, I've never seen Gustavo _this_ mad!" he took his snack back from his assistant and raised it up in salute, "Good day boys."

xXx

_Rolling back graffiti walls,_

_Billboards lighting up the block_

_Everyone one of us on a mission_

_The City is Ours_ blasted through the speakers of the Big Time Rush Mobile, overwhelming the streets of LA with its cheerful lyrics and upbeat tunes. The guys laughed and cheered, reminiscent of the good, the best and the fun times.

"Just a couple more minutes till we get to the hottest party of Hollywood!" James said.

"The Big Time Rush Thirteenth Party! Dedicated to our latest platinum album 'Thirteen'!" Kendall added, "And it's right at the Palmwoods!"

"With Mr. Biters now retired, we can be as crazy as we can be!" Logan cheerfully stated.

"Let's go party!" Carlos who was driving the car announced cheerfully, pumping one fist in the air.

"PARTY! PARTY! PARTY! PARTY!" the guys chanted.

The car suddenly trembled on its tires. "Uh-oh…" Carlos muttered. The guys' cheerful cries lowered. Their expressions turned frantic. "What's going on?" James asked.

Slowing down the car sputtered, dark smoke leaked out of its gas tube and the hood suddenly popped open, extracting a cloud of smokes from the hood. Right at that moment the car came to a complete stop and the engine died. The headlights, the taillights… _The City is Ours _music was on the part where it says '_To rock the whole place out!__'_when it went into a slow-mo dying drool…

Carlos twisted the keys on the ignition, but the car grumbled. It wouldn't start. He tried again… once, twice, a third time, nothing. The guys were still.

Honking and shouts were heard from other cars on the roads who either ended up slowing down behind them or have tried to change lanes over one another but couldn't because they got into each other's way. The lucky ones who did changed lanes were already yards ahead, but the streets soon turned into a jammed traffic and an angry crowd of drivers and passengers.

"Hey! What's the big idea?"

"I have an appointment to get to!"

"Get your car outta my way already!"

HONK! HONK! HOOOOOONK!

Kendall and James jumped out of the car and stepped before its front hood. Logan twisted back to face the traffic, "Nothing to see here folks!" he shouted over to them, "Something's wrong with our car!"

Carlos leaned forward his buddies in front, "What's wrong with the car?" he asked, "Is it out of gas?"

James and Kendall exchanged glances before facing Carlos and Logan, "Uhh…" James was hesitant.

"I think our Big Time Rush Mobile's dead." Kendall said.

"What?" Logan and Carlos jumped out of the vehicle to check the car's interior. More honking and screaming from the drivers ensued, but they ignored it.

"But the oil filter, the air filter, the gas tank… everything looks full!" Logan pointed out.

"Even the battery looks fine." James asserted.

Kendall pulled out his phone, "We need to call Gustavo." The guys turned around, "Because this is ridicu—!"

"WUAAAAH!" the guys screamed at the sight of a dark figure standing before them. He sported an Organization XIII-style hooded black coat, had a slim masculine build and eerily breathed as if he was wearing a gas mask.

"I'm… I'm scared…!" Carlos slipped behind James and Kendall. "Me too!" Logan slipped behind them too. James and Kendall froze at the dark figure's sight.

The figure breathed eerily again.

HOOONK! "Hey, Halloween boy, get outta the road would ya?" a bald-headed man in his late 30s yelled at the enigmatic figure, catching its attention. The figure turned its head toward him, raised its palm, aimed, and the top of his car exploded in a bright flash of light. All witness drivers left their vehicle and bolt out of the streets screaming. The startled bald man was already yards away. The figure turned back to BTR.

"Now I'm really scared." Carlos mumbled.

The dark figure outstretched one arm before the guys, flipped his fingers downward, and a piece of paper was formed in a blanket of shimmering light. The guys were amazed at that trick.

"What the—?" Kendall gasped. James took the piece of paper from the dark figure and examined it. It looked like an ancient blueprint of a building's floor.

"Palma Silva Castellum, Circa 1552?" James read the bottom right corner of the blueprint.

"That's the name of the building from where this blueprint came from." Logan said.

Kendall looked up, "Okay, what the heck is…?" the enigmatic figure was gone. The guys looked around. He was nowhere to be seen.

"He's gone!" Kendall exclaimed.

"Okay!" Carlos cried out, "NOW I'm terrified!"

xXx

"Okay, can you guys, once again, please explain to me why we're not partying downstairs like everybody else?" asked Katie Knight. Kendall's sister was now a growing young teen and appeared annoyed and confused at the same time by the guys' sudden decision to do research on a stupid piece of paper instead of going downstairs dancing to the beats of BTR's latest danceable album.

They were at their crib, gathered around the laptop at the kitchen counter.

"Yeah, we were supposed to be crowd-surfing, not web-surfing." Camille, Logan's ex-girlfriend but still good friend, added to Katie's argument.

"Because that guy is creepy!" Kendall replied, "Now, we need to find out more about this blueprint he gave us."

"There!" Logan pointed at a similar image, "_Palma Silva Castellum_. It's a Latin phrase."

"Meaning…" James articulated.

"Palm Woods Castle." Camille replied to the guys' amazement.

"Camille, I didn't know you spoke Latin." Logan said.

"I don't." she confessed, "It's for this role I'm rehearsing for. It's about a Latin princess seeking revenge in the 15th Century." Then dramatically she spoke with an Italian accent, "It's-a called _La Vendetta de la Machiavella!_"

Logan smirked, "Ooh, catchy."

"Wait, the Palm Woods used to be a castle?" Katie said, "Do you know what this means?"

"The mysterious guy wants us to turn the Palm Woods into a castle?" Kendall wondered, "He wants us to build him a new room?" James pondered, "He's looking for corn dogs?" Carlos guessed.

Katie frowned, "No! It's a treasure map!"

"A treasure map?" Kendall blinked, "I thought he was a salesman trying to sell us paper."

The mysterious figure reappeared behind the group, "Why would I be selling you guys paper?"

"WUAAAAH!" the guys screamed again at his sight. The figure cocked his head on one side.

"Wait, so you can talk?" Kendall asked.

The enigmatic figure in the dark cloak turned to its left and slowly stepped across the room, hands clasped behind him and back hunched a bit as if in thought. "Transcending history and the world, a tale of…!" the figure stopped walking, "wait, that's not right." He stared into space, "LINE!"

A stack of stapled paper from out of nowhere flew at him and he caught it. He flipped through the stack of papers. He paused then flipped back the pages, then flip again forward, then once more back. He paused. "Okay, perfect." He whispered, then tossed the stack over his shoulder, "Sorry, wrong legend. Ahem… this world possesses many legends. Yet many legends points to one glorious Grimoire."

The guys blinked.

"Come again?" Kendall said.

"A Grimoire is an ancient book of magic." Logan corrected Kendall, before facing the figure, "but what does that have to do with…?"

"This blueprint is your key." The figure interrupted, "And all throughout history, many of your ancestors have craved greed, curiosity… questing minds and violence, all driven on their quests to uncover the secrets of this everlasting Grimoire…"

"Okay you're scaring me." Camille muttered.

"I know, right?" Carlos agreed.

"Okay sir." James smiled at the figure, "If it's not too much trouble for you… speak English!"

"THERE!" Katie caught the guys' attention back to the laptop. She was on a history webpage, "The Grimoire of the Rift! An ancient family treasure once held by the ancient residents of Palm Woods Castle. Right before the Natives invaded the castle, populating its number more than one million."

"And right before Christopher Columbus discovered America." Camille read further.

Carlos gasped, "You mean there's a hidden treasure here at the Palm Woods?"

All heads turned to the enigmatic figure. Once again he was gone.

"I'll take that disappearance as a yes." Kendall said.

"Now this is WAY better than a party!" Camille smiled.

"WE'RE GOING TREASURE HUNTING!" the teens cheered before taking off in haste. They were now at the hallways when Kendall suddenly braked on his heels, "Wait!" he said, and the group stopped also.

"We need to be secretive." He then turned to James and Carlos, "James and Carlos, you two need to get through that door," he pointed at a nearby door, "and find us a secret passage so as to not get the party involved in our treasure hunting scheme."

"Got it." Carlos said.

"Let's go!" James said and the two guys went for the door. Kendall and Logan exchanged vindictive smirks. Katie and Camille looked confused. "But wait," Camille said, "This is the—!"

Logan pressed a finger on Camille's lips, "Shh! No talkie." His grin grew wider and so does Kendall's.

James and Carlos swung the door open and entered. It took them a second to realize they were in the closet.

"Wait a minute…" James blinked.

"This is…!" Carlos paused. "So long suckers!" He and James turned around at Kendall and Logan's gloat and watched the door slammed and locked before them.

"HAAA!" they banged on the door. "Open up! Open up! Open up!" Carlos exclaimed.

"Guys, why are you doing this?" James shouted. Kendall and Logan high-fived each other. Camille and Katie were still stunned by what happened, but they couldn't help but smile a little.

"You guys will just get in the way." Kendall explained.

James and Carlos faced each other, eyes widened, "WHAT?" they screamed.

"We'll be back to get you guys!" Logan promised, "…juuuust after we get our treasure."

"_YOUR _treasure_?__"_Carlos hissed.

"HEY! That his supposed to be MY treasure!" James exclaimed.

Carlos glared back at James. "…I mean, OUR treasure!" James corrected.

"And that's why you guys will get in the way." Kendall faced his group again; "Now let's go!" and they took off, ignoring the banging and the constant shouting from the closet.

xXx

People filled the Palm Woods' lobby, enjoying loud music under the flashing disco ball lights and drinking up fizzy sodas, punches, and chopping on chips and fancy appetizers. Majority of them were young and residents of the Palm Woods—and fans of Big Time Rush. Posters of Big Time Rush's _Thirteen _album walls splattered everywhere. Confettis poured everywhere, party poppers and whistles blew across the corners.

Kendall, Logan, Katie and Camille crossed the Palm Woods' lobby, and the fans cheered at their sights. They squeezed around the group, suffocating them.

"Hey guys… sorry gotta go!" Kendall said.

"We got places to go." Logan said, "People to see."

"We don't have time for autographs."

"Please."

"HEY!"

"AHHH!" the group jumped at the sight of Mr. Biters. He looked peeved.

"Mr. Biters!" Kendall exclaimed, "What are you—?"

"WHY is there a party in my lobby?" Biters hissed.

"I thought you retired!" Logan said.

"I came back to get my lottery ticket." Mr. Biters then smiled, "Inside should contain my one chance to get me a beautiful beach house in Malibu." His face then darkened, "Now WHY IS THERE A PARTY IN THE LOBBY?"

"It's a Big Time Rush party!" Katie said, "We're celebrating the guys' latest album!"

"So let's go celebrate!" Camille said and the guys took off past Biters. Biters watched them leave; the twisted frown didn't leave his face. The boys wouldn't usually leave a party, especially one that is dedicated to their fames AND is missing a hotel manager, unless there was something else in their little troublemaking minds of theirs. His eyes narrowed. "Mm… curious."

He walked away.

xXx

Kendall, Logan, Katie and Camille were now underground of the Palm Woods. They stood before a long winding stairway. Downstairs was so dark inside that it felt like going into oblivion.

"Yeah. I'm out." Logan turned on his heels ready to depart, but Kendall, Logan and Camille pulled him back in. "Yeah, you're not." Katie said.

"We didn't lock up James and Carlos only to have you bail on us." Kendall said.

"Yeah, speaking of that, did you guys locked them up?" Camille asked.

"Err… hello?" Kendall said, "James is selfish."

"And Carlos is stupid." Logan added.

"And these two together might end up messing our plan."

Logan turned back to Kendall, "Wait… what kind of plan do we have?"

"I dunno!" Kendall shrugged, "You're the brain. Figure it out."

"And I say the brain goes first." Katie pulled out her flashlight and shoved it to Logan's chest, "Take it."

Logan nervously took the flashlight from Katie. He looked at her, and then back at Kendall and Camille; and all were smiling evilly.

"What?" Logan gasped, "… wait, are you sure?"

"Just go." Kendall and Camille shoved Logan down the stairs. Logan nervously proceeded, looking back at his comrades and then facing forward the darkness engulfing him at every step he took. He turned on his flashlight. Spiderwebs adorned every corner of the hallway. The trail mixture of dusts and dead skins overwhelmed his nostrils. He finally reached downstairs to a door.

"You see anything, Logan?" Kendall asked him.

"Yeah…" Logan's voice was not too convincing, "…lots of dead rats for once… but I think I see a door."

"Great!" Camille said, "Open it!"

"Ohh… kay…" Logan muttered, "…but I don't think I…!" Logan suddenly screamed in terror. Snarling and clacking sounds followed. Kendall, Katie and Camille dashed down the stairs. "LOGAN!" they shouted, their flashlights turned on and its lights flying about every corner of the room, searching for Logan. They spotted the door Logan noticed, but it was locked. "LOGAN!" they shouted. "THIS WAY!" Kendall shouted and they went one direction.

"Logan! Where are you?" Camille swung a door she spotted and a skeleton popped out before her. She and the gang screamed. Then a blinding light poured on their faces. They squinted to see Logan behind the skeleton. He had a huge grin on his face and was laughing hysterically.

"Gotcha!" he laughed again.

Kendall's face darkened, "NOT… FUNNY LOGAN!"

"It is to me." Logan said.

Katie stepped before Logan with a cold look, "Not to us." She stomped on his toes. He shrieked, jumping on one leg and holding onto his injured toe. Camille then stepped in and ran a mighty slap across his face. He flew to the ground. "Hmph!" Camille walked away, head held high.

xXx

Mr. Biters entered the Big Time Rush's crib to find Kendall and Katie's mom, Jennifer Knight. She greeted him with a warm smile, "Hey, Mr. Biters. What brings you to the party?" she froze up, "Wait, I thought you retired."

"You know the boys are having a party downstairs?"

"Yeah!" Jen revealed a party platter of delicious cocktail fruits on stick kabobs, "And I'm the host!"

Mr. Biters shook his head, "No you're not."

Jen pouted, "Well I am!" she paused, "even if I wasn't invited." She went to the fridge to put the platter back.

"Do you know what the boys are doing?" Mr. Biters asked, "…besides going to the party?"

Jen closed the fridge and turned to Biters, frozen, "…what are you talking about?"

"Your sons are up to something." Mr. Biters said, "And I can feel it."

"You're over exaggerating."

"Katie is with them."

"Katie's gonna be fine. She can take care of herself."

The door swung open. "AAAAAHH!" Biters and Jen screamed before James and Carlos. The two boys looked angry… fuming.

"James? Carlos?" Jen said.

"Where're Kendall and Logan?" James interjected.

"I thought they were with you!" she replied.

"Mr. Biters?" Carlos was stunned to see the hotel manager, "I thought you retired."

"Yeah, think again." Biters replied. "Where did your buddies go?"

The mysterious figure reappeared again before the group. "AAAAAHH!" The duo screamed. The figure said nothing.

Mr. Biters approached the figure, "You…!" he breathed.

Carlos looked surprised, "Wait, you KNOW this creep?"

"I'm not a creep." The figure interjected.

"Every Palm Woods managers know this creep." Biters responded, "He's the guardian of the Palm Woods Castle."

The figure tapped on Biters's shoulder, getting his attention. "What did I just say?" the figure snapped.

"Guardian of the Palm Woods Castle?" Carlos and James repeated before facing the figure again, "You?"

"What's the Guardian of the Palm Woods Castle?" Jen replied.

"He only appears when someone in this building is threatening the very foundation of the Palm Woods. By stealing its glorious treasure known as the Grimoire of the Rift." Biters turned to face the group, "Did you two know about this?"

"Yes."

James smacked Carlos' chest. Carlos stammered, "N-no."

James smacked his chest again. "Stop that!" Carlos snapped.

"Well, _someone_ is after this powerful book!" Biters said, "It was once created centuries ago when the Palm Woods Hotel was only known as the Palm Woods castle, presided by its devoted founders, the royal family. What does the book do, you ask?"

Before Biters could go on, James and Carlos replied, "It's a book of spells."

"That gives us the power to do anything we set our mind into." James added.

"Like making us rich!" Carlos said.

"Or make us famous!" James said.

"Or give us a hefty supply of corn dogs."

"Or attracts us to girls!"

"Or makes me pay off my kids' college tuition!" Jen interrupted, killing the mood. The guys turned to face her. "What?" she exclaimed, "I can dream, can I?"

"So you KNOW about the Grimoire of the Rift!" Biters exclaimed.

"Of course they know." The mysterious figure spoke, "I show them the blueprint."

Biters stepped before the figure, "WHYYYY?" Biters cried out, "Why would you give away such powerful secret like this one? If the Grimoire of the Rift uses its magic, the book will disappear from the face of the Earth forever!"

"WHO CARES?" Carlos exclaimed, "A book that can grant us magic to do ANYTHING in the world is a book that is worth getting. So it CANNOT fall in the hands of Kendall OR Logan!"

"YEAH!" James exclaimed, "They locked us up in a closet and they took off!"

"Really?" Jennifer was stunned to hear that.

Mr. Biters shrugged, "Well, that makes sense, since you guys are always messing things up for them."

Carlos and James gasped in horror. Mr. Biters is taken aback, "What? It's true!" he straightened, "But there's NO way that I'm gonna let your hooligans take over MY Palm Woods' treasure! It took me years to keep it a secret, and I'm not gonna let my one-and-only-ticket to get a beach house get into the wrong hands!"

Jennifer shrugged, "At least Katie's not with them."

"Really?" Mr. Biters's tone changed, "Someone like _you _who has known Katie since birth _thinks_ she's not treasure-hunting with them?"

Jennifer shrugged again, looking quite relaxed.

"She could be treasure hunting under the dark gloomy undergrounds of the Palm Woods Hotel, which used to be the castle's very own dungeons." Biters said. The enigmatic figure besides him nodded in agreement, "The dungeons once housed by beggars and bandits, and mummies and dark sorcerers, and killers and children mutila—!"

"KATIE!" Jennifer darted through the door, "MOMMY'S COMIN'! DON'T WORRY!" Then Carlos, James, and Biters followed. James and Carlos turned to face the enigmatic figure but he was gone.

"Okay, he _really _needs to stop doing that." James said. "Yeah." Carlos agreed.

xXx

The farther Kendall, Logan, Katie and Camille were deep into the underground, the closer all the darkness was bound around them. The party noises were now behind them. It got soon replaced by the moaning of a wind, as if it was in pain. The air felt chilly, haunting… the only source of lights they had so far now was the faint glow of their flashlight.

A thud came from behind them. They turned quickly, but nothing was there. Their nervousness was now skyhigh.

"Guys, I don't think this is such a good idea…" Katie muttered.

Kendall tried to laugh but the sound of it came out shaky, "Wh-what are you talking about Katie? Everything…" he paused, noticing Katie's solemn expression. He gulped, "…everything's gonna be all right."

Camille's flashlight zoomed past a bat. The bat flew straight at her. She screamed and waved her hands about. The bat was gone. "I'm scared…" she pressed on Logan. Logan wrapped his arms around her for comfort.

"Everything's gonna be okay, Camille." He laid hands on her shoulders to face her, "There's nothing to be scared about. Trust me."

Another bat flew past Logan and Camille. The duo shrieked and dropped their flashlight on a puddle of water. The flashlight flickered off.

"Oh, really." Camille sniffled, "Nothing to be scared about huh?"

"Hey I've never been on these premises before!" Logan protested.

The gang now reached a faint glowing space in the cave with many intersections. It was hollow and its lights were provided by nests of fireflies perched across ceilings made of spiky rocks. Beds of pebbles and rocks spread before them, and all had puddles of water stained about the place.

"We should be arriving soon." Kendall turned to Logan, "Logan you got the treasure map?"

Logan was eerily silent, looking at Kendall. Kendall didn't like that look, "Logan?" he repeated, "You _do _have the map right?"

Logan's eyes flickered from one corner to the other before zeroing in on his friends, "I thought you have the map."

Kendall sulked, letting out a defeated, disappointing sigh. Katie and Camille gaped. "You guys lost the treasure map?" Camille screamed.

"How can you be so stupid?" Katie hissed, "Now we're lost!"

"We're not lost!" Kendall exclaimed. "We're—!" he paused, "…just missing a map is all!" he glared at Logan, "Where is it?"

"_You_ tell me!"

"I thought _you_ had it!"

"Why would I have it?"

" 'Cuz you're the brain!"

"Well, sometimes, the brain usually doesn't use his gifts!"

"WE'RE LOSSSSSSST!" Camille bawled, "Now we're never gonna get back to the party! We're gonna be a forgotten bunches for the rest of our lives!"

The gang turned around and they came face-to-face with two dark figures.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the two figures screamed. Their faces are revealed under the firefly nest light.

"Gustavo?" Kendall and Logan were stunned to see him with Kelly.

"DOGS!" Gustavo exclaimed.

"What are you all doing here?" Kelly asked.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." Kendall said.

"You were supposed to be at the party. Not down here." Logan said.

"We were looking for you." Kelly replied, "And James and Carlos…" she noticed the latters were not here, "…who seems to be missing."

Gustavo got nose-to-nose with Kendall, narrowing his eyes under his bug-eyed sunglasses, "…what…" he breathed eerily, "…are you dogs up to?"

"Nothing." Kendall interjected.

"Just doing nothing here." Logan giggled.

"Just looking for a dog." Katie lied. The gang looked at Katie, then back at each other. Silence.

"Well… BYYEE!" Camille yelped and the gang took off running. "GRAAAAAWWWL!" Gustavo roared before facing Kelly, "These dogs must get caught and tossed into the dog pound! They're out to get me again!"

Kelly noticed a piece of paper on one of the puddle of water. She crouched, picked it up and shook the paper, "…or maybe they're out to get something else entirely."

She showed Gustavo the paper. Gustavo examined it. It was the blueprint—the treasure map of the Palm Woods Castle.

"A treasure map?" Gustavo said.

"I dunno what kind of treasure it is but we need to get there before they do."

"THEN LET'S CATCH UP TO THEM… NOW!"

xXx

James, Carlos, Mr. Biters and Jen were also in the same vast cave as the others, but in another section of the cave.

"Who knew the Palm Woods' underground could be this big?" Jenn said, mesmerized by the atmosphere worth exploring.

"The Palm Woods' Castle _was _a big place." Biters remarked.

"Guys…" Carlos gulped, "Remember those ghost stories we were told about back at 3rd Grade summer camp? About underworld creatures that would crawl out of Hell to feast on human flesh? And El Cucuy?"

The group turned to face the superstitious Carlos, the color on his face was drained so quickly he looked like a white sheet.

"What if they exist?" he went on, "They could be anywhere, they could be out to get us…!"

He grabbed his helmet, smacked it on his head and gripped on it, not letting go, "and I don't wanna lose my helmet! He's my bestest friend in the whole wide world! I don't wanna lose helmy—!"

James whacked Carlos in the head to keep him from talking, "Ow…" Carlos receded. "Dude!" James snapped, "Stop freaking out already! And don't talk about El Cucuy! I don't wanna think about him anymore _everytime_ I spent my night hours doing my hair!"

"You do your hair at night?" Jen gave James a cold look.

"Hey, I gotta look good in the morning!"

"Can we all focus and stop acting like whiny kids on Halloween?" Biters exclaimed, "There's a treasure out there we need to find and keep it away from those hooligans! AND there's no such thing as underworld creatures or _El Cucuy_!"

James, Carlos and Jen stared back at Biters.

"Really?" Jen said, "Says the guy who screamed their heads off when they saw Stephanie King being disguised as a ghost."

"That's a different matter!" Biters hissed, "But _this_ matter does not exist."

But then he spoke too soon once his eyes caught on something crouching on their pathway. It was green, leaky, like a combination of rotting skin and drippy flesh that were hanging on limbs and in draping folds. He let out a scream of terror at the sight of the creature. All heads turned to its direction. They were about to scream frightfully but caught themselves off. Instead they began to back away as the creature moved silently toward the groupvlike a hobo crying for help. The creature didn't have an eye but an empty socket, its limbs were unfurled, and its mouth cut corner-to-corner were full of sharp teeth that were really cavity city, with fungi for a tongue.

_Moans_… the moment the creature made that sound was when Mr. Biters screamed from the top of his lungs, "RUUNN!"

And the group tore off in every direction, screaming for their lives. They ran so fast that their feet barely touched ground.

xXx

Kendall, Logan, Camille and Katie skidded to a full stop once they saw Gustavo and Kelly before them again. "AAHHHHHHH!"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOGS UP TO?" Gustavo barked; the map shoved to Kendall's face.

Kendall grinned, "Nothing!"

"Nothing!" Logan beamed.

"Nothing!" Camille grimaced.

"Err… we're getting away from you?" Katie said. The group glowered at Katie. Katie shrugged.

"This doesn't look like nothing!" Kelly replied, "You're after a treasure are you?"

The group hesitated. Kendall looked over Gustavo's shoulder and his eyes shot up wide, "Oh, look! Justin Bieber!"

Gustavo and Kelly turned around. Kendall ripped the map from Gustavo, shoved it in his back pocket, and the group tore off, speeding across the cave. Gustavo and Kelly didn't see them anymore. Gustavo angrily pumped his fist, "Bieber…"

"After them!" Kelly growled and they went after the gang. Kendall and the gang ran around the cave being chased by Gustavo and Kelly. They ended up splitting up. They slipped to the northwestern cave; reappeared to the southeastern one, slipped to the Mideast section, cross the northwest puddle lake, exit down the southwest of the cave hills, reappeared outside the spacious area, ended up in the darkened space. The sequence went on forever.

Gustavo spotted a figure behind a wall of rocks. He jumped on the figure. "HA-HAAA!"

"HAAA!" The figure screamed. It was Jen. She pulled out a pepper spray and showered Gustavo's face with its burning stench. "HAAAA!" Gustavo yelped, the red searing burn faded across his face. Jen dropped her pepper spray, shocked at the sight of the person she sprayed on.

"Gustavo!" she smirked, "Sorry, I thought you were an impostor."

Gustavo growled. James, Carlos and Mr. Biters reappeared. "Gustavo!" James was happy to see him, "What's shakin' your bac'n?"

"Grr…"

"Bad time for a joke?"

"Gustavo." Carlos said, "We need to find Kendall and the others. They are after a treasure and we need to get it before they do! So are you in?"

"FINE!" Gustavo roared, "But once we get to the treasure it's MINE!"

"Done."

James smacked Carlos's chest again, "OW! Quit it!"

"Stop making deals with the enemy!" James said. Kelly gaped but James quickly recoiled, "…not you. Just him." He pointed at Gustavo. Kelly blushed.

"I'll give you 20% of the treasure!" Gustavo said, "And I keep the chest!"

"Actually, it's 20% of its magical powers." Carlos corrected, "Just sayin'."

Gustavo stood confused. But he didn't hesitate, "Done. Now let's go find the rest of the dogs! MOVE OUT!"

Once again, the groups ran around the cave. They exited the spacious area, crossed the northwestern cave and slipped to the Midwestern section, entered the cave hills, skipped the puddle lake, only to end up in another puddle lake and then to a dead end. They left the dead end, moved to the darkened space, found themselves toward a new area. But it was yet another labyrinth. It went on forever and ever and ever…

xXx

Kendall slammed the doors open and stepped inside a brand-new room. It looked like a reliquary. The gang slowed down at the sight of a large treasure chest of ruby cushions and gold padlock sitting on stone slab made for a podium. It stayed there as if waiting to be clicked open. The foursome gasped at the sight of the chest, mesmerizing it as if it was under a spotlight with a choir of angels singing with a crisp opera-singing tone.

"There it is…" Kendall gasped. "…the treasure."

"It's beautiful." Logan squealed.

"Let us touch it together." Katie suggested as Camille licked her lower lip. They slowly approached the chest when a loud noise and a group of thunderous steps startled them from behind. All heads whisked to the rest of the group: James, Carlos, Jen, Mr. Biters, Gustavo and Kelly! They all faced off across each other.

"Kendall!" James angrily pointed at Kendall.

"James?" Kendall was surprised.

"Logan…!" Carlos sneered.

"Carlos?" Logan was shocked.

"Katie!" Jennifer called her daughter.

"Mom!" Katie responded.

"Mr. Biters?" Camille squinted.

"You." Mr. Biters sneered.

"DOGS!" Gustavo barked.

Kelly gasped, "The treasure." She pointed. All eyes went on the glorious chest, then back at each other, standing in the way. Kendall, Katie, Camille and Logan slowly stepped back. "Uhh… guys…" Logan gulped. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Get 'em." James whispered hoarsely and the mass mob bolted for the treasure. Kendall, Logan, Katie and Camille screamed in panic. Katie and Camille quickly got out of the way before the mob tackled the guys. They all turned on each other. Logan tried to blanket the chest with his arms and stomach but Gustavo grabbed him by the shirt and tossed him asides. Gustavo grabbed the chest, but a flying punch crossed him, breaking his jaws. He let go off the treasure and it fell onto Kelly's hands. Kelly then got shoved to the wall by Carlos's tackle. The cheerful Carlos does a quick victory dance unaware that Jen was behind him. She ran a knucklepunch across his head, knocking him out. She snagged the treasure, but suddenly let go off it screaming and dancing as Biters tickled her. Biters moved past her and snatched the treasure. He tried to flee but James pounced on him from behind. Then Kendall jumped on his back and roughly ruffled his hair. James screamed and send the treasure up, which Kendall caught and turned to flee, but froze before Camille who ran a mighty slap across his face. He got knocked out. Camille grabbed the chest and took off but was stopped by Gustavo, Carlos, and James who pinned her down the ground with body slams like they were on a football field.

The chest rolled to a complete stop, still unopened. All eyes fixed back on it for a brief pause before everyone jumped back at it again, tugging and pulling.

"It's MINE!"

"It's MINE!"

"It's MINE!"

"It's MINE!"

"It's MINE!"

"It's MINE!"

"It's MINE!"

"It's MINE!"

"It's MINE!"

"It's MINE!"

"It's MINE!"

"How come this treasure gotta be yours man?" James screamed, "It's MY treasure!"

"You get NOTHING!" Kendall argued.

"It's MY treasure!" barked Carlos, "And I wanna do something FAMOUS with it!"

"Like what?" Logan hissed, "Buy a cheap helmet?"

"GAAASP!"

"Let go off this treasure! It's mine!" cried out Gustavo.

"I need this treasure for my kids' colleges!" Jen screamed.

"I don't need college! I need richness!" Katie exclaimed.

"GAAASP!"

"I need it for a beautiful beach house!" Mr. Biters yelled.

"_I _need it for MY beautiful beach house!" Kelly barked, "So that I can get away from you people!"

GAAAAASP! Everyone inhaled.

The clash went on forever. Kendall stepped back and blew a whistle, so strident and ear-piercing it had everyone jumped out, terrified for a second, and cease fighting.

"People!" he shouted, "PEOPLE!"

Pause.

"SHUT UP!" he screamed, "Okay? What's the matter with you? It's just a treasure chest!"

"Yeah, but…" Mr. Biters blushed, "it has a cool book of spells in it."

Kendall laughed hysterically, "A big book of spells, huh? Oh! Oh! Do you HEAR yourself?" his eyes swept across the group, "Can WE hear ourselves? We're fighting… over a BOOK…!"

All exchanged glances.

"A book… of SPEEELLLLS…!" Kendall articulated; his attention now on his buddies, "Spells!"

The gang finally acknowledged how stupid they felt fighting over a _book _of magical _spells_. First of all, they don't believe in magic, and second of all, they _hate _books, especially school books, which were always sold even before every school year started… well, every books except Logan's.

"Yeah… magic doesn't even exist." Logan admitted.

"…and books are no fun." Carlos said.

"Who cares?" James yelled, "It's a BOOK of SPELLS! Think of ALL the cool things we can do with a BOOK of SPELLS!"

The group agreed.

"Yeah!" Gustavo added, "And I'm getting it!" he approached the treasure chest, but Jennifer stopped him with one arm over his chest, "No!" she looked back at the chest, greed filled her green eyes, "We'll open it together."

Everyone except Kendall stepped before the treasure chest without hesitation. They turned their attention back to Kendall. Kendall, after a good hesitation, shrugged, "Eh, worth a shot." and stepped before the chest as well. "All right. On the count of three."

"One"

"Two"

"THREE!"

Everyone swung the chest open at "three"; and like a jack-in-the-box, a zombified face filled with worms and spiders leaking from eye socket and nostril popped out before them.

"AAAAAAAAAAH- AAAAAAAAAAH- AAAAAAAAAAH- AAAAAAAAAAH- AAAAAAAAAAH- AAAAAAAAAAH- AAAAAAAAAAH- AAAAAAAAAAH- AAAAAAAAAAH- AAAAAAAAAAH- AAAAAAAAAAH- AAAAAAAAAAH- AAAAAAAAAAH!"

The gang's bloodcurdling scream stopped the party at the Palm Woods as it spread across the hotel, all of L.A, the United States of America, the entire planet, and beyond all galaxies. They lost their balance and tumbled off the pedestal at the sight of the horror before them.

"WhAt…Is…ThAaAaAt?" Carlos squealed.

"MoMmMmY…" Katie pressed herself to her mom, trying her best not to see the face's one good eye still twitching alive.

"WoRmS…AnD sPiDeRs!" tears streamed across Logan's cheeks.

"WHO IS THE SICK, TWISTED, PSYCHOPATHIC BASTARD WHO DID THAAAT?" Gustavo roared; but even that didn't stop the group from whimpering and squealing in fear.

Moments later, the police was on the scene and filled the Palm Woods lobby with evidence tapes. The treasure map was now under their possession, and the treasure chest with the jack-in-the-box gruesome head was being poked on by detective and investigators, hard at work under full examination.

"Based on all of typical findings such as these, we're talking full murder investigation." The officer disclosed to the guys' dismay, and the surprise of everyone else in the Palm Woods.

"And you say that this face came out at you from that chest?" the Officer asked.

The guys nodded their heads.

"It… was… horrible…" Kendall said.

"Tragic…" James muttered.

"Who would do such a terrible thing?" Carlos gripped on his chest, "I almost had a heart attack. And I'm YOUNG!"

"I don't think I'm gonna be sleeping tonight…" Logan muttered, rocking on a chair, "…or ever." Camille and Jen rubbed on his shoulders for comfort.

"Well, I know who would do this." The officer said before a smile appeared on his lips. "A really funny mean-spirited TV show called '_You Got POWN__'__D_!"

**PoWN****'**** xD!**

Confettis came pouring out of nowhere in the lobby. The guys looked up in surprise, "Wait… what?" Kendall said.

The door flew open again and a rush of cameras and microphones came at the four guys, zooming their images and attention on them. The officer laughed out loud, then all the policemen, the investigators, the detectives, and surprisingly Gustavo, Kelly, Katie, Camille, Jen, and Mr. Biters. All of them were laughing hysterically, and so did the young party of the Palm Woods.

"What the—?" Kendall's face darkened, "What is the meaning of this?"

The TV show host approached the guys, "BIG TIME RUSH! I hope you're wearing your diapers, 'cuz YOU GOT POWN'D!"

The Palm Woods crowd cheered.

The TV show host went on, "You got pown'd so hard that I can bet my life that you're leaking under these skinny jeans!"

"No!" Carlos squealed, shaking his head. All attention turned to him. He looked dead silence for a minute. "…maybe."

The guys groaned in disgust.

"I'm Sly Effington!" the host said, "And welcome to your worst moments in TV History!"

"But… wait…!" James looked confused, "Who did this?"

"_I _did!" Gustavo stepped in, his grimy smile could fill up his face. Kelly was smiling too.

"Gustavo?" the guys exclaimed.

"And HE…" Griffin entered the scene, to the guys' amazement, "…had some help too!"

"A _lot_ of help." Added Jen as the rest of the crew stepped in as well: Katie, Camille, and Mr. Biters.

"B…but why…?" the guys exclaimed.

"Because of what you guys did to Gustavo earlier this week!" Jen exclaimed, "That's why!" Gustavo nodded in agreement.

"We had to get back at you." Kelly said.

"_Zing!__"_Katie taunted.

"Y'see." Griffin began, "After your mean prank on Gustavo, I approached him with a million-dollar offer to prank you all. First of all was to hire my good friend Sly and his TV show crew to capture the whole deal. Then I paid all of your family and friends here hefty salary of a thousand dollars to help us out."

"Wait," Katie interjected, "only a thousand dollars?" she sighed, crossing her arms, "Man, what a waste of good prank."

"Remember your dead Big Time Rush mobile?" Camille said to the guys, "Got a dead battery."

"Remember the blueprint that guy gave you?" Mr. Biters said, "…made up by a good friend of mine who's an Architectural Engineer. And I'm not really retired." He pulled his badge out of his suit pocket and clipped him back on his shirt, "… it was part of the prank. So that you can have your party and set the whole place in motion."

"Ohh… my…" Logan breathed.

"But what about all the stuffs with saw on the Internet?" Carlos asked.

"You mean all the information on the web about the Palm Woods Castle and its many secrets and histories?" Katie said, "…fake!"

"What about that zombie we saw?" James exclaimed.

"Costume design." Kelly said as the zombie actor stepped in, removed his mask to reveal his face, "See?" Kelly grinned.

"But that dead head!" Logan exclaimed, pointing at the zombified head.

"…only a mask!" Gustavo laughed, "An _electronic_ paper-maché mask! See?" he pulled out a small remote and moved its circle pad. The dead face's one good eye twitched in response. Gustavo cackled evilly.

"THAT WAS MEEAAAN!" James angrily interjected.

"Well, now you know how it feels!" Gustavo hissed back, "To be covered in POO!"

"You boys should _really_ learn not to mess with Gustavo." Jen said, "He may drive you guys crazy at times, but he's your boss!"

"B-b-b-b-b- but- but- but- but- but-…" Logan muttered.

"But what about that guy in the cloak?" Kendall exclaimed, "That shadowy figure who keeps appearing on and off by magic?"

A puff of smokes shot before the guys, startling them and there was the enigmatic figure again.

"Him!" Kendall pointed at him.

"Oh you mean _her_?" Kelly replied. The guys looked puzzled.

The shadowy figure removed the cloak to reveal her face.

"Jo?" Kendall exclaimed.

"Surprise to see me?" Jo smiled.

"Remember when Jo left for that movie in New Zealand?" Kelly went on, "Well, all the special effects paid off. So Sly here offer her a one-time guest role on the show just to prank you guys."

"And I gladly took it." Jo said with a smirk on her lips, "Oh, and look!" Jo removed the cloak completely to reveal that she was wearing a muscle costume and elevator shoes, "More costumes! Pretty sweet, huh?"

"That is so messed up!" Kendall faced the guys, "I cannot believe you guys did that!" he then faced Jo, "I can't believe _you _did that."

Jo simply shrugged.

"Well, somebody had to be punished for what you did to Gustavo." Griffin said, "Only _I _get to torture Gustavo. Nobody else."

"And what better way to punish you guys than with a bowlful of pown power!" Sly smiled before turning to the camera, focusing on the group, "…and thanks for watching at home, ladies and gentlemen for what we call the best day of YOUR life, and your favorite celebrities' worst moments in History—!"

The TV in the guys' crib was on, "—for this has been another prank-tastic edition of 'YOU GOT POWN'D!" Sly's big smile invaded the screen. Then all went black. Logan had turned off the TV. It's been a week since the incident and the guys were all reclining on the couch, staring at the now blank TV screen.

"I can't believe we got pown'd like that." Kendall muttered.

"Now my red face is gonna be all over the TV." James angrily said, "And I wasn't even prepared for it."

"Hey, look on the bright side." Carlos said, "At least we got a TV appearance."

"An _embarrassing _TV appearance." Logan muttered, "You know, we should get Gustavo back for what he did to us."

_Muah! HA! HA! HA! HA! _Logan could hear Gustavo's evil laugh haunting his mind. He swung his fists in the air angrily, "NOT FUNNY!"

_Knock-knock-knock._

Kendall went for the door. "Who is it?" he sighed.

No response. He opened the door anyway. No one. He blinked. He then looked down and there was a package, "Ooh." He picked it up, closed the door and went to the kitchen counter. The guys joined in. "Hey, what is that?" James asked.

Kendall opened the package to reveal a strange book. The book had a glossy goldenrod hardcover, gleaming under the bright sunlight. Its front was carved with glyph and hieroglyphics pattern that resembled a cross combined with a star. Centered on the book was a tiny emerald gem. The book was about twice the size of a World Book encyclopedia, long height but at least a few thousand pages.

"What kind of book is that?" Logan wondered.

"A magical one?" Carlos wondered.

"I… don't think so." Logan sounded unsure.

Kendall flipped through the pages. He stared.

"The pages are blank."

"Maybe it's a drawing book." James said.

Kendall closed the book and went for the door as Logan asked, "Why would someone give us a drawing book?" James shrugged, "I dunno. Maybe they're trying to be nice?"

Kendall opened the door and looked outside, "Helloooooo?"

No response.

"I think you got the wrong address?"

"They're gone?" Carlos asked Kendall. Kendall closed the door and walked back to the guys and the book, "yeah." He sighed in defeat. "This book smells suspicion guys."

"You think this is the true Grimoire of the Rift?" James asked.

"Guys, we went over this." Logan tried to reason, "The Grimoire of the Rift doesn't exists. This could be another one of Gustavo's mean trick."

"Then let's prove it." Carlos pulled out a pen, "Let's sign our names in there!"

"WAIT!" Kendall stopped him. A smile came across his lips, "Let's write the turd song on it, _then _sign our names in there."

The boys laughed in agreement, and all began scribbling the lyrics to their childhood song on the grimoire's blank pages.

_Oh you such a turd,_

_Oh yea a giant turd,_

_And you look like a turd,_

_And you smell like a tuh-uhrd!_

_Oh you such a turd,_

_Oh yea a giant turd,_

_And you look like a turd,_

_And you_…

"SMEH-EE-YEEA-EE-YEELLL… like a Tuuuuuuuuurd…" James finished.

The guys cheered and high-fived each other.

Suddenly a loud thunder crashed. They jumped. They looked outside and the beautiful LA skies turned dark and foggy, as if a storm was coming. They paused.

"Rainstorm?" Logan blinked.

A thunderbolt slammed on the kitchen counter. The guys jumped back. The Grimoire started shaking and flipping its written pages… one, two, three, and then the ground and everything started shaking. The guys grabbed on the kitchen counter, trying to hold their balance. The wind howled and slowly took over the crib, picking up anything light and medium weight and twirling it around the crib.

"What's going on guys…?" Logan shouted.

"It's the Grimoire of the Rift!" Carlos barked, "I told you it was the Grimoire of the Rift!"

"HELP US!" James screamed.

"LET'S GO THIS WAY GUYS!" Kendall shouted and the group went for the door, but the strong wind whisked them off their feet. The Grimoire flipped its pages violently through the winds as the guys screamed, swirling around the book.

"MUAAAAAAAAAAH!"

**...  
**

**END OF FLASHBACK**

xXx

"…and before we knew it, we ended up right here." Kendall finished.

"OOooohhh…" the heroes exhaled.

"You wrote a crap song on a book?" Squall scolded, "A crap song?"

The guys simply shrugged.

"Teehee…" Terra wiped a teasing tear from her eye, "…Pown'd."

"That must've been a _really_ good show." Tidus commented.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY!" the guys shouted in unison.

"So technically, James didn't bring the book out. Kendall did." Cloud corrected.

The guys looked at each other. They suddenly became confused. "Wait… what?" they exclaimed. "Then, what story were we telling?" Logan blinked.

Arus laughed, "It's okay men. Crossing through the rift, especially for the first time, can really mess people's sharp minds. We're living proofs of that when Cosmos called us to battle Chaos."

The group all replied in agreement. The boys sighed.

"So," Vaan said, "all of that happened because of a Grimoire and this really creepy mysterious guy who happened to be your ex-girlfriend?"

The guys looked at each other before facing the group. They could see in their eyes that they were not taken aback by this mysterious book. "Wait." Logan began, "So you know about the Grimoire?"

"Legend has it," Arus informed, "that Grimoires such as these have been created for a purpose. Each one his own. The one that you've stumbled upon, or was left at your door, had the purpose to transport you through an interdimensional rift across the Final Fantasy universe."

Carlos leaned forward from his chair, "Wait a minute, so what are you saying exactly? You think that this Grimoire… this book that took us in here, can take us back into our world?"

The heroes were silent.

"Well then we need to find it!" James interjected to his buds. They nodded in agreement.

"I'm afraid…" Arus paused, "That that's not gonna be easy."

The guys glowered back at the heroes, not liking this response.

"I never liked that Gustavo fellow…" The lost in thought Tidus muttered to himself.

"Yeah, he was weird." Zidane approved.

xXx

Jack was on the ship's skydeck at that very specific moment. The sun was fast slipping behind the clouds, leaving behind an arctic chill from the high altitude and its light fading into a low contrast, marking the arrival of the night. Jack could feel the freezing wind drawn to his skin. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders and fervently rubbed himself, attempting to get some warmth. The night was supposed to be any different. But Jack didn't like that feeling. The cold was fine, but it was a different kind of cold.

Like someone was watching.

He briefly glanced at the duffel bag sitting by his feet. He leaned down and grabbed it, swung it over his left shoulder and turned on his heels.

And there stood a woman!

Jack stumbled back at her sight. That icy feeling licked his spine and got twice as worse. He couldn't pull his eyes away from the woman's beauty. Her shapely build was as graceful as a panther; her creamy skin gleamed under the low dusky skies. She sported a very stylish ball gown which its top was as dark as the midnight sky but its ends were crisply bright like fresh fire. But her most striking appearance was her hair: impeccably smooth, soft, its coating were of various tulip, burgundy, and goldenrod colors and they all danced…yes, they danced about, moving like water as if cautiously, ready to strike, and what supposed to look like split ends looked like the eyes of desert cats.

They were snakes.

"Medusa…" Jack managed to speak, though he sounded like her gaze was slowly gripping on his throat, squeezing till heart content.

"Hello Jack." She spoke, her voice was strong and rich with purpose, "Did you miss me?"

The so-called Medusa ran her tongue across her jet-black lip. Jack's eyes twitched. Medusa was one powerful adversary and her gaze seemed to have petrified him, though he wasn't even yet a statue. But one false move could mean the end of his life.

Jack didn't hesitate. He jumped back; clouds of darkness overwhelmed his left arm to form his lance. But before he could even step forward and strike, Medusa's finger aimed and a powerful lightning bolt surged out of her and struck him dead-on. Jack let go off his lance, violently shaking at the mercy of the lightning. The darkening skies lit up and the thunders furiously roared as Jack's body lost its color, turned to a dull gray and slowly crackled, solidifying itself.

Medusa lowered her fingers and the lightning and the flashes above the clouds seized. She smiled, admiring what she now beheld Jack's statue, made of solid rock and clay.

Medusa heard clapping from behind her and watched from one eye corner the Emperor Artemis, stepping forward.

"Well done my beloved. Well done." He revered. "And here I thought summoning you would've been a terrible idea."

He ran his hand down Jack's frozen hair; "Boy was I glad I've listened to my own instinct?" He rested one arm on the statue's shoulder and the other arm behind his back before facing Medusa, "You do realize that it's a joke right?"

"Do you have it, yes or no?" Medusa quietly interjected.

Artemis smirked. He pulled his arm from behind to reveal the Grimoire! The same Grimoire the guys came across back at the Palm Woods. "Is this what you're looking for, Lady of the Underworld?"

"That… is exactly… what I'm looking for." A proud smirk passed on Medusa's lips.

xXx

**The next season of _Big Time Final Fantasy _is gonna be big!**

_-New crystals__…_

"This… is the Crystal Idol." spoke an enigmatic ninja standing before a protected green crystal inside a museum hall.

-_New Adventures_…

"You guys need to get me outta here." spoke a dark-skinned prince to the Four Warriors and couple of FF characters, "I'm not cut out for this royal suite life."

Couple of soldiers is chasing a Chocobo chariot.

The large Cluckatrice, Klesta from FFTA2 is giving chase to one of the 4 warriors and a Moogle.

-_And_ _New Final Fantasy characters__…_

"Serah Farron, would you marry me?" Noel Kreiss asked Serah on one knee.

Carlos and Fate who were at the same table gasped in shock.

"Sorry Noel, but I still have things to deal with my fiancé Snow." Serah replied.

"FIANCÉ?" Carlos and Fate yelped_._

"So, these are the Warriors of Light." spoke Noctis from inside a skyscraper. "Figured I would've seen someone better."

"We're going to class!" Tina proposed to the stunned BTR guys. "CLASS?" they shouted.

"Okay Class." A Moogle addresses the BTR gang and Class Zero from _FF Type-0 _inside a classroom, "Today, we're going to learn how to restore and fortify magic, Kupo!"

Class Zero gathered around the BTR gang. "I didn't know we had new students," said a cheerful Cinque among the class.

_-And OCs are invited__…_

"Clearly my dear sister, you are still suffering the ill-effect of your previous rant." spoke a red-haired Red Mage OC to a red-faced Tina (still sporting her new pink hairdo)

Tina, Chocolate, the Magick Sisters, Ryuji and Shiki are seen fighting some monsters. Then a shadowy figure appears before them, his hand glowed like a crystal as he cast an attack that sent enemies flying.

"So you're gonna help us?" Tina (still sporting her new pink hairdo) asked the male OC from earlier.

_-But it gets bigger__…__ with new evil in town__…_

Replay of Jack meeting Medusa "Medusa…" he breathed.

Medusa petrifies him.

"So what do we do with this little pest?" Medusa asked Artemis while still staring at the frozen Jack.

"Jack's gone!" Valerie informed the Heroes of Light and BTR.

"Who is this Medusa? And what is she planning to do to us?" James exclaimed.

"The Villains of the Darkness is expanding." Ultimecia said, "…but only at a cost."

"I'm afraid it came too late." spoke Cid de la Lufaine sadly to the Warriors. "I am so sorry, warriors. I am so… sorry."

Feral Chaos is seen charging toward the Four Warriors of Light. The Warriors readied their weapons and charged toward the beast and leapt above him with full-swing and a battle cry!

xXx

"You boys want to play with your Grim toy?" Medusa taunts, the Grimoire floats besides her, "…then you'd have to come and play with me first."

Medusa, from _Kid Icarus Uprising_, guest stars.

* * *

**Look out for new _Big Time Final Fantasy_ episodes. Starting with****…**

**~Big Time Double Trouble~**


	14. Ep12: Big Time Double Trouble Dates

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

**A/N**: We're back! The second season of the twisted epic crossover of Big Time Rush and Final Fantasy returns with a brand-new episode! Hope you enjoy this!

Also, bear in mind that the story updates condition have changed. Please read them on my profile to see what you can expect for the future of this fanfic and all of my other fanfics.

Now onto the chapter.

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::**

_**-**Ep.12: __Big Time Double Trouble Dates__**-**_

* * *

**First a look-back at all that happened in Big Time Final Fantasy****…**

Big Time Rush ends up in Cornelia and goes on their first adventure in a rescue mission to save the Cornelian princess Sara from Garland. It is at this point that they learn that they will not be going home yet, as Garland hinted at their arrival and their purpose in the Final Fantasy. Meanwhile, the Heroes of Light and the Villains of Darkness (all the characters from the first Dissidia Final Fantasy) learn of Big Time Rush arrival to the Final Fantasy. The Heroes go on the mission to protect the guys, while at the same time, delaying them from knowing their true destinies too soon, while the Villains plot to control the guys and their destinies into the darkness' favor.

Traveling alongside a white mage named Tina and her chocobo Chocolate, the enigmatic Magick Sisters, and Axel the multi-weapon specialist (from KHIII Online HD) on board the Big Time Airship, giving to them by King Cornelia, the guys traveled the Final Fantasy skies until they finally learn of their true destiny from the Dragon King Bahamut: the guys shall use their Crystals to ultimately destroy Darkness, but this will eventually put an end to Light as well, as Light cannot survive without Darkness, thus calling on the end of all Universe and eventually the beginning of a New World. The guys were upset about the outcome but had no choice but to go for it.

Ultimately the guys' meeting with the Dragon angered the god of discord, pushing him over the edge. He sends his army to invade Cosmos' Sanctuary, killing her in the process, and summoning Chaos Demons to invade the Big Time Airship, ultimately splitting up the entire group.

The guys finally reunited in Ivalice, and joined force with the 012 Heroes of Cosmos (from Dissidia Duodecim) who were revived the moment the Warriors of Light showed up. The group joined force to stop a planned assassination against three royals, engineered by one of these royals who happen to be a dark emperor seeking the resurrection of the fearful Thirteenth Crystal. The group thwarted the dark emperor plan and later met with the Warriors of Cosmos, who deliver news on Cosmos' fate.

Now it is up to the Warriors of Cosmos, and Big Time Rush—newly acquainted as the Four Warriors of Light—to find a way to restore Cosmos and proceed on their quest to end the war between the two gods. Could such task get any harder?

[Uh-Oh! Uhoh! Ohhh!]

**Ep.12 ****–**** Big Time Double Trouble Dates**

**xXx**

She couldn't believe what she saw, stepping, grazing onto the barren wasteland of burning charcoal; under the scorching heat, the foggy atmosphere of the Underworld. She had come too late. Face-to-face with all of her friends.

Cosmos's Warriors and the Four Warriors of Light had fought the final battle bravely, valiantly. She thought it was over and done with. But she was wrong. Their bodies—their wounded flesh—took a sudden transformation.

Their eyes have glittered eerily; the moist air had left their skins. She thought it was the atmosphere, but a dry heat such as the Underworld couldn't do such thing she feared. Only magic did. A dark form of magic. And she was very afraid. Scared stiff. In deep mourning.

Her friends have turned into statues. Each and every one of them. But her beloved best friends—the cheerful foursome destined to defeat Chaos—was different. The Warriors of Light known as Big Time Rush—Logan, Carlos, James and Kendall. They were all in Crystal Stasis.

She silently wept as she laid a hand on the now silk crystallized skin of Logan before her. She slowly passed by James and Carlos, giving them one last look. The look on their faces before their final moment was a terrifying look. They too did not see that coming. And neither did she? How could she not have seen that coming? Her bestest friends turning into Crystal? Doesn't give a crap if the legend says otherwise that when one enter Crystal Stasis they gain eternal life! It was less than a blessing but a curse!

She then turned to Kendall's Crystal Stasis. She approached him, laid a hand on his chiseled chest. A tear streamed down her cheek. She whispered something faintly; something heartfelt—in her elfin tongue—she once too many times had trouble saying it to his face before, when he was still living.

Suddenly his crystal body suddenly shimmer a red-orange glow from within his heart. The glow spread across from limb to limb. Eventually it took over his entire body in a blinding sight. She looked away, shutting her eyes… … …

xXx

"Tina!"

Tina gasped at the call of her name. She turned to Kendall who had called her and lo, he was still alive! Breathing! James, Carlos, Logan and the following Warriors of Cosmos—Tidus, Cloud, Cecil, Firion and Lightning—were there also! All living and breathing!

She blinked, quickly noticing her surroundings. She was in her cabin on board the S.S BTR, the Big Time Rush Cruise Airship won by the heroes after saving Ivalice couple of months ago. She let out a deep breath. It was all a dream. "Ohh my gosh…"

"Are you okay?" James asked her with a puzzling look.

She smiled, "Ohh, I'm okay!" she cheered, "I'm MORE than okay!"

She leapt off her bed, "You guys have no idea how happy I am to see you!" she grabbed and hugged a startled Kendall tightly, "Whoa, HEEY! Take it easy!"

"Whoa, somebody's been in a hangover." Tidus joked.

"I don't care what you call it." Tina exclaimed, still smiling, "I just had this terrible dream and I do NOT want it to happen to any one of you."

"What's the dream about?" Logan asked.

Tina tossed her hand dismissively. "Doesn't matter anymore." She went for her drawers.

"Oh good." Carlos let out a sigh of relief, " 'Cause you were out like a light for the past 14 hours; and we thought that was because you just found out about your sister Lilina who broke into the Airship to steal valuables stuffs. But that doesn't matter anymore now right?"

Tina whizzed her head toward Carlos, "What?"

"CARLOS!" everyone shouted, with Cloud back-slapping his head. "Ow…" he cringed at his comrades, "What? It's true!"

The guys turned to Tina who looked frozen in place, like someone hit the Pause button on her. They waved their hands over to her face, but she didn't budge.

"She is still alive, right?" James asked.

xXx

In the SS BTR's grand lobby, by the waiting area where they were large ceiling-to-floor windows overlooking the blue sunshine skies, Warrior of Light Arus was with Onion Knight Luneth, Bartz, Terra, and Squall. They appeared to be edgy.

"The Thirteenth Crystal?" Squall said to Arus who nodded in response, "You mean the same Thirteenth Crystal that's been terrorizing the Final Fantasy universe… and us Warriors of Cosmos, for centuries?"

"Seems that the Emperor Artemis has relocated and is concocting a plan to bring it back." Arus said, "But this time with a brand-new way to do so."

"In what way?" Luneth asked.

"With a crossroad of interdimensional rifts through space-time continuum known as the Historia Crux." Arus said, "In order to navigate it, we need to find a Time Portal. Now I don't know where we can find a Time Gate, but if we do, we need to get Big Time Rush involved somehow. They're the only ones who can—!"

He paused, taking notice of a commotion coming their way. All heads turned to the commotion. It was Kendall, Logan, Chocolate, and Tina.

"Tina looks upset." Terra commented, judging the distressed look on the white mage's face.

"I can't believe this Lilina." Tina exclaimed, stomping angrily, "I can't believe my sister! When will she learn?" her voice rose.

"Just calm down Tina." Logan tried to reassure her, but he only got her more upset.

"Calm down?" she bawled, "Lilina has been my big sister for as long as I could remember. I've been looking up to her. Idolizing her. Trying to follow her footsteps. But all she does are either annoying, sheer stupidity or doesn't make any sense at all! She's lazy, she's condescending, she's repulsive and she's selfish! Everytime I try talking to her, she acts like a mean and nasty bully and treats me with no respect! Even when our parents were still with us! She doesn't even communicate with me when we're in the same room with each other! Did you know she failed her Red Magick classes as Suzaku twelve times? I ended up graduating before her!"

Tina's chest heaved up and down, her breathing shallow and exhausted. Kendall, Logan, Chocolate, Arus, Luneth, Terra and Squall all exchanged glances.

"That's a lot of stuff about a sister to digest." Logan whispered to Kendall and Chocolate who both nodded on cue.

"Come on, Tina." Luneth approached her, "Your sister can't be that bad."

"You know what I think!" Lilina menacingly pointed her staff at Luneth who jumped back to his seat, startled, "I think she stole all of that stuff either because she needs money OR she doesn't know the items belonged to her. And knowing my sister, I think it's both."

"Are you talking about me behind my back?" a female voice spoke from behind Tina. She frowned upon recognizing that voice. She and the rest of the gang turned around to see her. She had blond hair with red highlights, carried the same babyface look as Tina, but more mature, wore a red spellblade outfit with fluffy white collar, matching red trousers, and white high heels. She had her arm crossed and her eyes narrowed.

Tina also crossed her arms, "Yes, Lilina. I was talking about you."

"Whoa—! THAT'S your sister?" Kendall exclaimed, not able to take his eyes off her.

"The very one I regret having."

Lilina passed right by Tina like she was a complete stranger and closed in on Kendall and Logan, "Oh, so you must be the famous Warriors of Light. Kendall and Logan…" she looked around for James and Carlos, "…and those other two guys…y'all have some fancy nickname too. What was it?"

"Lilina. It's Big Time Rush." Tina grumbled.

"I think it has something to do with some fast-speed racing thing with the clock…"

"Lilina…?"

"…and it's big…"

"I heard you've been stealing…!"

"…like a big donut with a clock…"

"Are you even listening to a thing I say?"

"Ah, doesn't even matter. So, you're new and handsome…!" she squeezed Kendall's cheeks together.

"I'm telling Mom you're not listening to me!"

"…and quite pale too." She then squeezed Logan's cheeks, "You guys really need a makeover."

"As usual!"

"A little Marlboro Oil on the skin would be nice."

"AAAUGH!" Tina exploded, "You know WHAT Lilina—! I'm so sick and tired of you treating me this—!"

"Oh what's that?" Lilina stretched her ear tauntingly toward Tina, "Uhh… what'chu say? Blah-blah-blah. You talk too much, Tinnie."

"Don't… call me that!"

"Y'know, for your information, what I do is none of your business, yah?"

"Err… Lilina?" Logan said to the Spellblade, "It is kind of a serious business. You can't steal from all those people here on the ship. It's a felony."

Lilina stared impressively at Logan, "Why, aren't you a smart person…"

Logan grinned from ear to ear, "Why, thank you. Planning to become a doctor."

"Dude!" Kendall clapped hard in front of Logan's face, "Focus!" he exclaimed before facing Lilina, "Look Lilina, what you're doing is a crime!"

"And here on this ship we don't tolerate crimes." Said Arus, "And because of your action I'm afraid that we're going to have to take you to custody by the name of our fellow Goddess." He then called out, "Guards!"

And immediately a couple soldiers on duty to the ship arrived at the scene and surrounded the stunned Lilina, "Aww, really?"

"Sorry, consequences." Said Arus.

"HA! See what you did, sis?" Tina said, almost in a gloating manner, "If you'd have listened to me…!"

"Oh, what's that?" Lilina peered over Tina's head before pulling something shiny from underneath the scalps. Tina squealed in pain. Lilina dangled on her two little fingers a golden necklace, "Oops. Looks like I'm not the only thief in the bunch now huh?"

"That's a missing pendant from a passenger!" Terra recognized it, stunned.

"Wait… Tina. You STOLE a pendant?" Luneth exclaimed before everyone else turned to her, stunned and in shocked by that revelation.

"What…? N-NO!" Tina whirled to Lilina, "Where did you get this?"

"Where did you get this?" Lilina snapped back, "Not from another passenger I presumed? If this ship goes down, I'm taking down the iceberg with me too."

"WHY YOU—!" Tina was about to pounce on her sister when Arus and Kendall quickly pulled her away. Logan and Squall restrained Lilina from making any defensive moves. "Okay!" Kendall exclaimed, "I think it's time for you two to get a time-out."

"Time-out?" Tina and Lilina exclaimed.

"Yeah, time-out as in you're going to airship jail." Logan said.

"Let's go ladies." Squall ordered and the gang escorted the two struggling ladies; appalled they started barking and complaining at each other for their rights.

xXx

Carlos paced back and forth at the Sky Saloon. He finally saw James coming with a young man who had dark-brown hair, and sported some kind of samurai baggy outfit.

"What took you so long?" Carlos addressed James, "Fate is gonna be here any minute."

"Sorry about the wait buddy. I got lost in the way." James implied, before noticing Carlos's outfit: a black blazer jacket over a fancy white dress shirt, dress pants and polished dress shoes, "Ooh. You're looking spiffy, buddy."

"…yeah, but I'm nervous." Carlos replied, "I've never dated before. Let alone a double date. See, Fate and I have been talking recently… about how we both haven't had a serious relationship before. So we got to talking and we decided that we—!"

"—set each other up on blind double dates so that none of you'll be sitting alone with pints of ice cream on your laps in the end. How touching." James said, "But at least _somebody_ knows how to dress up." When he said that he glared at the young man besides him. The young man lifted his hands up as if backing off, "Hey, sorry for bumming you out man." he said, "Didn't know it was formal."

"I did tell you that."

"Really?" the young man raised an eyebrow, "I thought you were talking about yourself looking good in formal."

James looked up dreamily, "...yeah... I _do_ look good in formal." on cue he does the face. Both Carlos and the young man rolled their eyes.

"Anyway," Carlos offered the young man a handshake, "I'm Carlos! Carlos Garcia!"

"Nice to meet you! I'm Noel. Noel Kreiss. I'm a friend of Lightning…" he paused, "Well, Lightning's sister technically."

"Noel huh?" Carlos said, "Well, Fate is on her way. You're gonna _love_ her. She's funny, talented, and hot! She's the total catch!"

"Sweet!" Noel replied, "Can't wait to meet her."

Fate came in the scene as well, along with Valerie and a striking pink-haired girl sporting a pink and white outfit.

"Oh good! You're here." Fate grinned at Carlos.

"James?" Valerie suddenly got tensed, "Wh-what are you doing here?" she said mirthlessly.

James stood there, mouth half opened for a while. He then shook his head and quickly crossed his arms, "I was… ahem… I was just about to ask you the same thing." His eyes narrowed.

Valerie's eyes widened and twitched.

"Are you helping Carlos get Fate a date?" she said.

"What?" Fate gasped.

"Are you helping Fate get Carlos a date?" James countered.

"Huh?" Carlos exclaimed.

"…Okay, you know what, party poopers." Fate addressed both Valerie and James, "Why don't you go your separate ways and go spoil someone else's fun, huh?"

After a good staring, Valerie and James quickly walked away, head flushing pink.

Fate smiled at the sight of Noel, "Well Carlos. Looks like you were right after all…" She then pulled Carlos away to whisper, "…he looks fine!"

Fate waved at him. Noel waved back, his eyes vacant, as if staring in space. Fate could sense he was checking her out and that made her squeal of giddiness. "EEEP!"

"Oh, ho! Sweet! Thanks!" Carlos smiled broadly. "So…" he then looked up to the girl and smiled, "Is she my date?"

The girl stared back, her eyes also vacant, as if staring in space. Carlos could feel her gentle arms wrapped around his soft muscular body and that made him jolt like fire ignited all his nerves. He too felt like squealing.

"Yep." Fate replied, "Her name's Serah Farron. She's Lightning's sister!"

Carlos whipped his head toward Fate in utter shock. But Fate failed to notice, "Serah, this is Carlos, my buddy!" she slammed Carlos's back on cue with her hand. Carlos flinched, "Ow... w-wait. What?"

"You…" both Noel and Serah said simultaneously.

Fate's smile faded, "…wait. You two know each other?"

Carlos pulled Fate asides, "Of course they know each other!" he hissed, "Noel is HER friend! And BOTH of them know LIGHTNING!"

Fate's eyes widened, "WHAT?" she and Carlos glared back at the duo who couldn't keep their eyes off each other, mesmerized. They smiled, giggled. Serah flipped her hair to one side. Noel winked a couple of times.

"…wow." he breathed, "Serah, you look… beautiful."

Serah blushed with her chin on one shoulder, "…th…thanks." she paused, "I didn't know you were on this ship."

Noel was about to respond but Carlos stepped in front, blocking his view, "Why, hello there sweet thang!" he smiled at Serah.

Serah and Noel startled. Serah refocused and quickly replied to Carlos, "Oh! H-hi…"

Awkward pause. Serah shrugged, "Sooo… you… must be… Carlos Garcia?" she asked.

"The one and only." Carlos replied, "Now who else would I be?"

"…teehee…" Serah nervously giggled. "…someone else…" Noel giggled nervously as well. Both Carlos and Fate returned the nervous giggle, watching a romance unfolding before them from the sidelines. They didn't like it.

"So what's so funny?" Fate gritted her teeth.

"Oh, nuttin'" Noel threw a dismissive hand, still laughing along.

xXx

"You were so setting up Carlos with a hot girl!" James shouted at Valerie.

"No I'm not."

"Stop denying it!"

"I'm not denying anything!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No I'm not!"

The duo arrived on the ship's sky deck when Valerie stopped walking. She turned to James. "Fine." She said, "Just admit that YOU were setting up Fate with a hot guy and we can drop this whole discussion behind."

James crossed his arms, "I don't know what you're talking about." He looked away.

"Oh yeah?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then what's that sweat dripping on your forehead?"

"IT'S HOT, OKAY?"

Valerie jumped back. "Stop yelling at me!"

James quickly composed himself, "Okay… sorry. I won't yell again."

Valerie wiped a tear off her eyes.

James caught a glimpse of an item behind Valerie. It was long and had a sharp blade at the end. "Hey, what's this?" he went to pick it up. Valerie noticed the item also.

"It's a lance." She gasped.

"Looks like…" James examined the lance, "…Jack's lance." He shrugged, "He must have forgotten it."

"Forgotten it?" Valerie exclaimed, "How could he forget his lance in here? He would never leave his lance behind!" she glanced back at James with a worried look in her eyes, "This was no accident."

"You're right." James said, "This was no accident."

He paused, narrowing his eyes, "wait… how is that NOT an accident?"

Valerie sighed, "Wish Aria was here." She said, "Too bad she's in Eorzea on a sidequest. She'll tell us what to do."

"But the others will." James proposed, "Come on, let's go find them."

xXx

Tina moped from inside her jail cell, sitting on the cold concrete bench. Kendall was with her on the other side of the bars.

"Tina. You should _really_ work on your relationship with your sister." He said to her, "And also, you should _really _work on your anger issues and cut those nails of yours. You're like Gustavo on steroids…with claws..."

He and Tina then turned to Logan who came in with claw marks, bruises and torn clothing. Logan glared at Tina.

"…in a cat costume." Kendall finished.

"That was my favorite shirt!" Logan barked at Tina.

Tina bit her lower lips, "Sorry, Logan." She sulked. "But you don't understand, it's Lilina! My sister! Her bark is worse than her bite!"

"But not as worse as your CLAW MARKS!" Logan hissed.

"Which is why I've decided to settle this sisterly dispute once and for all." Kendall said.

At that moment, Warrior of Light Arus came in to the jail room with a key. Kendall and Logan stepped back, giving him room. Arus unlocked the jail cell and slid it open. "You're free to go."

Tina stood up, "I am?"

"But on probation." Arus countered.

Tina raised an eyebrow, "Probation?"

Squall, Firion, Cloud and Cecil came in to the jail room as well, escorting Lilina with them. Lilina and Tina stopped, exchanged glares.

"Ugh… you again." Tina growled.

"No chiz." Lilina rolled her eyes.

"But you know what?" Tina said, "I'm not gonna let you ruin my day here on this ship. And I'll do that by staying away from you as far away as possible." She started walking out of her jail cell when Arus blocked her path with his arm, "Uhh, yeah, no. I don't think so."

"What?"

"That's the whole point of the probation you're in." Arus said, "You and Lilina will have to work out your differences through therapy."

"Therapy?" the girls repeated.

"I booked the two of you an appointment with a very serious family counselor on the Sky Deck of this ship." Kendall handed Tina and Lilina pink appointment slips with the information of the therapy on it, "He's a genius. And he's been healing family strifes and marriages for… almost two years."

Tina and Lilina stared at their slips then at each other, then back at Kendall.

"Axel Joedo?" Lilina repeated.

"_He_ is our family counselor?" Tina exclaimed.

"What kind of a joke is this?"

"Oh, that's no joke." "He really is good." Cecil, Firion and Squall replied in unison.

"Sorry but I ain't seeing no therapist, so." Lilina tossed her slip over and started walking, "…see ya."

"Logan." Kendall called his friend and Logan pointed at Lilina. A jolt of lightning coursed through Lilina's body and quickly a powerful force yanked her by the arm straight toward Tina. The girls suddenly felt their wrists bounded by metal handcuffs.

"HEEYY!" the girls hissed.

"Nobody is going anywhere until YOU two settle your differences!" Logan said.

"How about I settle a difference on your FACE?" Tina roared, charging for Kendall and Logan. The guys freaked out. The wrist cuffs quickly yanked Tina back to her sister's personal space before she could grab the guys.

"Phew, that was close!" Kendall sighed.

"She's a beeaast…" Logan whimpered.

"All right you two." Firion approached the girls and so did Arus, Squall and Cecil, "Time for your probation."

"Unless you want to spend the rest of your lives behind bars, I'd suggest you behave." Squall warned.

"How about I give you a taste of my behavior?" Tina hissed.

"I have a gunblade." Squall threatened. "Don't test me."

Tina subdued herself.

"See," Lilina said, "It's trash talk like that that makes me uncomfortable whenever I'm around that woman."

"So I'm making you uncomfortable huh?" Tina giggled evilly, "Oh wait till I'm off my handcuffs!"

"Let's go ladies!" Cecil ordered and once again the girls were verbally going at it as they were being dragged out of the jail room.

"This is why I'm not looking forward to marriage." Logan said to Kendall.

"You got that right." Kendall nodded.

xXx

"Kupo! Today's Tuesday, so this means we're calling on our Tuesday Special," A Moogle waved his clock staff in a zigzag circular motion and a huge feast appeared on the table besides Carlos, Fate, Noel, and Serah.

"Cockatrice Meat dripped in orange juice, with spicy Dragon soup with a peanut sauce mix and tropical Pineapple Juice to the side. And for dessert: delicious Ambrosia and a platter of Wizard Cookies. If you want the ability to teleport people or yourself today, I'd recommend the sugar-flavored ones, Kupo."

"Ooh! Wizard Cookies!" Carlos clapped his hands excitedly before scooping an armful of them to his plate.

"Err…" Serah timidly cleared her throat, "Thanks… Mogshu… but uhh… I don't eat Cockatrice. I'm a vegeterian."

"Yeah, she is." Noel agreed with her.

Carlos stared at his date with his mouth full of cookies. Fate frowned, "Vegetarian? Since when?"

"Since our last quest at Gran Pulse." Noel said before turning to Serah, "I remember it very well."

Serah giggled from ear to ear. "Yeah…" Noel laughed along.

"SO!" Fate yanked Noel off Serah, keeping him close to her chest, "Tell me more about that time at Grand Pulse! Because Carlos and I once had the greatest adventure yet."

"We did?" Carlos looked puzzled.

Fate tossed him a frowning glare. Carlos forced a grin, "I… I mean, we did!"

"So you guys are a couple?" Serah asked.

Fate whipped her head back at Serah, eyes squinting with resent, "NOOO!" she fanned a finger at herself and Noel, "_WEEE_ ARE!"

"Oh." Serah uttered.

"I mean… why would you veggie heads think that Carlos and I are on a date?" she exclaimed.

"Yeah…" Carlos agreed, his teeth masticating the cookie crumbs, "…You can't possibly be thinking that two people of the opposite sex on adventures together can actually hook up now do you?"

"Whaaaaaa?" Noel and Serah quickly shouted in denial, "Nooooo! Of course not!"

"That's madness!" Serah exclaimed.

"That's creepy…" Noel added.

"That's so hot."

"ohh…so…hot… like… …" Noel paused, staring back at Serah, almost losing his breath, "…yeah."

Awkward silence. Carlos and Fate couldn't stop staring at Noel and Serah who couldn't stop staring at each other enamored. Carlos leaned toward Fate, "Is it just me, or did we ended up matchmaking two wrong people?"

Fate shook her head, "They're just friends. It's just a phase. It doesn't mean they really like each other."

"And besides," she went on, "Serah once had a serious relationship before with muscle-licious tall blond and handsome Snow Villiers like… for almost five…seven years."

Carlos whipped his head back at Fate, "Wha—! YEARS?" his squeal almost made Fate jump out of her skin.

"Yeah but it's no big deal, right…?" Fate grimaced, "They once even got engaged. No one knows what happen though, but rumor has it he cheated on her and they broke up."

"You never told me that!" Carlos hissed.

Fate blinked back at her friend, "I didn't?" she exclaimed, "Huh! Guess it slipped my mind."

Carlos collapsed to his seat, gaped.

xXx

Tina and Lilina stared at Axel, who stared back at the two sisters. Axel appeared uncomfortable. The two sisters sulked on the white cottonweed sofa in waiting… impatiently waiting.

Axel twisted his lips to the side and feigned a faint sputter with his tongue. "Sooo…" he prolonged.

The two girls glanced at each other once again before facing their therapist.

"…I'm thinking that you girls are my… assignments." He leaned over, deeply staring at them with a puzzled facade, "…are you two like… together?"

"Yeah, we're together." Tina replied before glaring back at her sister from one eye's corner, "Unfortunately."

Lilina rolled her eyes.

"No kiddin'." Axel whispered. He sulked back to his sofa and scribbled furiously on his notepad.

"Look Mr. Joedo…" Lilina spoke, "With all due respect—!"

"You call _him _Mr. Joedo?" Tina interjected.

Lilina resentfully glared back at her sister, "So what you want me to call him, _Axel Man_?"

Tina shrugged, "I dunno. I mean, you have no problem calling our mom and dad by their _first names_!"

"They like it!" Lilina barked.

"Wait, sorry to interrupt." Axel arched back up on his seat, "So tell me more about…" he fanned his pen to and fro at the two sisters, "how did you two… you know…" he grinned perversely.

Tina and Lilina grimaced, "How did we two… what?" Lilina asked.

Axel's sly smile expanded, "…duh… meet?"

"Err…when we got out of our mother's womb?" Tina said sarcastically. Now Axel squinted, puzzled as ever.

"I'm the first one!" Lilina trumpeted, hand raised.

"Yeah, we know!" Tina interjected again.

"Y'know, I'd appreciate it if you stop interrupting me when I talk!" Lilina barked.

Ignoring Lilina, Tina leaned toward Axel, "Y'know the stuffs that she does that really annoys me?"

"Heeere we go." Lilina tossed her hands in the air and sulked. Tina went on, "She goes around looking for guys to jump on!"

Axel raised an eyebrow. He glanced back at Lilina who winked at him and flirtatiously pursed her lips. Axel turned back to Tina who kept on talking, "…and it's not just that she's _looking_ for any guys. She uses her Red Magic! The magic that she's supposed to be using to do good things in her life… but instead she uses it to drag men into her bed of spider webs!"

"A cheater…" Axel whispered, feeling his blood pressure rising.

"And it's not just that! She steals from people! Just recently she stole a bunch of stuffs from this ship and framed me for it!"

"Oh honey, I framed you for a whole bunch of other stuffs." Lilina said, leisurely scratching her teeth, "Remember your trip to Ivalice?"

Axel and Tina all turned to Lilina. "What are you talking about?" Tina asked, her voice got lowered deep.

"Hellooo?" Lilina said, "The attempted crime on Lady Ashe? The two thieves you came across?"

Tina sat up, her squinted eyes widened, "that was YOU?"

"Surpriiise!" Lilina cheered, "Isn't that obvious?"

"Two sisters… fooling around… one of them a cheater… … AAAND a criminal? Hee-Hee-Hee-Hee-Hee-Hee!" Axel laughed giddily, "My kind of fantasy!"

**xXx**

**-Tidus: Hey! This is Tidus from _Final Fantasy X_! Why not take a break? We****'****ll be back for more big time adventures on _Big Time Final Fantasy._**

**xXx**

"I can't believe you're the one who framed me for a crime you and your partners committed! A CRIME AGAINST POLITICAL AUTHORITY!" Tina hissed at her sister.

"Hey, don't get mad at me. You and your Big Time Hunkaloney friends were the one putting your noses into our businesses." Lilina exclaimed.

"YOU WERE GONNA KILL THREE ROYAL FIGURES! _THREE_!"

Lilina shrugged, "Well, at least one of them ended up evil no?"

"Okay… girls." Axel interrupted the sisters, "Can we like please get back to our therapy sessions. I have tons of questions to ask. Like uhh…" he hesitated, "okay. So…" he pointed at Lilina, "…you're the cheater." He then faced Tina, "How do you feel that she did that to you? I mean… sure she framed you for many other things but has she framed you for hooking up with a guy while she was actually, y'know… cheating?"

The girls glared.

"Oh my gosh Axel, what are you talking about?" Tina bellowed, "You're not making any—!"

She stopped suddenly, her sentence died away in her throat and her face paled up. Lilina's eyes widened with a stunned discovery.

"Ohh…"

"…my…"

"…gosh." They whispered.

Axel remained still, "What?"

Tina rose, hands slowly crawling on the coffee table, "You…think…that she," she pointed at Lilina, "…and I," she then pointed at herself, "…are HOOKING UP?"

"GAAAAaSP!" Lilina gasped with shrill shock.

"Whaaat?" Axel squinted, forcing a smile, "Nooo… why would you think…" he started sweating and his breathing increased, "…I mean…wh-whyyy on earth would you think that you two," he fanned a finger at the two sisters, "are hooking up? I'm not a pervert! Ew!" he laughed fretfully.

Lilina shook her head slowly side to side, "This is why I don't like going to therapy."

Tina reached for Axel's arm and yanked it up. "Whoa, hello!" Axel startled. Tina blinked at a big wet stain under the therapist's armpit.

"You're sweatin'." Tina pointed out.

Axel pulled away from Tina, "THAT DOESN'T PROVE ANYTHING! It's hot in here!"

Lilina glanced at a thermostat at the far corner of the room, "It's only 57 degrees."

"And only perverts say these lies." Tina hissed. She turned around and started walking away, "Come on, Lilina. Let's go settle our dispute alone!"

Lilina watched her sister exit the room before rolling her eyes and followed reluctantly.

"Settle our dispute?" Axel rose from the sofa, "…can I watch? I need to take notes for your therapy session!"

A ball of fire shot from outside and torched the furniture ablaze, startling him.

xXx

"So Serah." Carlos began, his arms wrapped around his date's shoulder, "Tell me more about yourself, besides what your family do for a living of course, which I really don't care."

"I'd like to know more of your personal interests too, Noel." Fate flirted, "…like uh… you're planning to raise any Chocobos or adopt them like your children?"

"Well," Noel began, "One thing for sure. I don't…" he stared creepily at Fate, "Who the hell adopts Chocobos like their children?"

"You don't remember Noel?" Serah said, "It was Sazh, remember?"

"Oh, right-right-right-right-right... HEY!" Noel exclaimed, before shifting his chair away from Fate to move closely to Serah, "Remember that day we spent? With the Gran Pulse Chocobo?"

"Gasps!" Serah brought a huge smile on her face, "Oh my gosh!"

She quickly shifted her chair away from Carlos and got closer to Noel. "I totally forgot about that day! Oh my gosh, can you imagine the chaos?" Before they knew it, the duo started laughing, remembering the good times.

"I can believe you forgot? It was unbelievable!" Noel went on.

"I know!" Serah exclaimed. "I told Lightning about it and knowing my sister, I didn't expect her to laugh so hard!"

"No kiddin!" Noel exclaimed, "Gadot was spilling milk off his nose! I thought he was gonna die!"

"Really?" Fate eyed both Serah and Noel murderously, "'cause I'd like to see BOTH of you die."

Serah and Noel stared back at Fate. Fate quickly cooled down and sat back to her seat.

"Hey, speaking of dying," Carlos quickly tried to change subject, "anyone read the reports about the end of the world?" Carlos said, "I heard it's this year."

"Dyin' is so underrated." Serah said.

"Yeah, that's why we have Phoenix Down." Noel added.

"Noel." Fate said bitterly, "It's the end of the world. There won't be a single person with a Phoenix Down."

"Ooh!" Carlos exclaimed, "Wanna hear a reeeally funny story that'll spill milk off your noses? One time, me and Logan were trying to protect this really cool celebrity from bad lucks, but then we ended up knocking her down a well!" he laughed out loud, "Get it? Bad Luck? Knocked down a well? Well?"

Noel, Serah and Fate simply stared back at Carlos, not laughing at all. Carlos's laughter slowed until it stopped.

"Y'know I can sing, right?" Carlos quickly changed subject.

Finally Serah and Noel looked on interested, "Ohhhhh!" they exclaimed.

xXx

Kendall and Logan found Tina and Lilina storming in to the ship's lobby. All heads turned to the two enraged girls.

"Soooo…" Kendall said with a nervous grin, already guessing things didn't go well, "…how's therapy going?"

"It was horrible!" Tina hissed, "That therapist of yours recommended that we share some _love_ together. And I'm not talking about regular love!"

Kendall and Logan exchanged glances, eye squinting in disgust.

"I don't know about you, but I think that therapist is right." Lilina said, examining her delicate fingernails.

All eyes turned on Lilina. "Yeah…" she went on, "I mean, _I _know how to share some love to a human being. But _you,__"_she poked Tina on the chest, "on the other hand just get bitter and bitter and bitter…"

Tina shoved Lilina's hand off her chest, "Oh, you wanna talk about love and bitterness and the heart wants what the heart wants?" she hissed, "Here's a suggestion for you: GROW SOME HEART!"

"Fine!" Lilina barked back, "Clearly my dear sister, it seems that you're still suffering the ill-effects of your previous unparallel rant about me. Grow me some heart huh? Well, don't attempt to grow a brain and even think about going there with me because, be warned…" she closed in to Tina's nose, "I bite back."

_Ooooooooh~_

Tina's eyes flashed lightning. Kendall and Logan turned nervous as they noticed the crowd getting larger and wider before the group. "This is gonna get _uglyyy.__"_Logan whispered.

"Oh-Ho! _I_ can't grow a brain?" Tina struck back, "Well, I'm not the one who's using their full-grown version of their brain to live the life of a sagging streetrat. Now that is pretty brainless to me, don't you think? Unless you don't know how to THINK?"

"At least I'm proud of calling m'self a rat." Lilina hissed back, "But what _are_ you, a lice or something entirely alien?"

Tina swiftly pulled up her sleeves, "All right that's it, bitch."

"WHOAAA-OHHH! " Kendall jumped between the two girls, "Name calling!" he exclaimed, but Tina shoved him out of the way and pounced on Lilina, tackling her to the ground. The attack quickly drew up a huge crowd of spectators, staring blindly at the two girls clawing each other like paper, spitting out insults, and catapulting fists, chairs and heavy items across the hall. At that moment, Valerie and James were spotted. They joined the crowd to watch the brawl. James' face lit up.

"Oh my gosh!" Valerie squealed, "Should we stop this?"

"Girl, are you crazy?" James said, "This is a catfight! And catfights NEVER get interrupted!"

But Kendall didn't seem to think so. He quickly came to the girls and tried pulling them out. But Lilina's nails were tangled all over Tina's hair and Tina's nails were all over Lilina's clothing. James and Logan then jumped in to help pull the girls off each other.

"Okaay! Girls, stop it! STOP IT! THAT IS IT!" Kendall screamed as he, James and Logan finally yanked the two girls away from each other. James had grabbed Tina from behind, and Lilina got restrained by Logan. Kendall stood in the middle of the girls.

"Wow!" Kendall huffed, "What a fun family reunion that was!" he then glared at Tina, "But fighting isn't gonna solve," he then faced Lilina, "your differences!"

"Oh, don't worry Kendall. It WILL solve SOME differences!" Tina jabbed James' toe with her heel and jumped back at Lilina again, tackling Kendall out of the way. The two girls tear each other's faces. Logan got dragged into the brawl as well. The crowd cheered on.

"YOU WANNA SEE ME BITE, BITCH!"

"I CAN'T BITE BUT I CAN CLAW!"

"HEEEEEAAAALP! HEEEAAAAAALP MEEEEE!"

xXx

"I didn't know you could sing!" Noel said to Carlos.

"That's so cool!" Serah exclaimed.

"Yeah, and he's _really_ good at it." Fate exclaimed

"You wann' hear me?" Carlos cleared his throat and was about to sing.

"Oh! Speaking of singing and dancing," Noel shifted his attention back to Serah; Carlos and Fate gaped, "you heard about that new celebrity we've recently heard of coming to town earlier?"

"Oh you mean Teis?" Serah said, "I heard about her. She's popular."

"Yeah! Apparently she's on tour!"

"Can you guys talk about ANYTHING else but YOURSELF?" Fate hissed.

Noel and Serah blinked, "What?" Noel said, "We're talking about something else, aren't we?"

"Yeah." Serah said and the duo resumed talking.

Carlos frowned, collapsing back to his chair in defeat. Fate buried her chin on one hand, also looking defeated. It was impossible for those two to stop talking to each other and not to them.

"What are we gonna do?" Carlos muttered, "Our dates aren't paying _any_ attention to _any_ one of us!"

Fate suddenly sat straight, her face lit up, "I know. I'll do magic."

Carlos's eyebrows rose with curiosity. "Yeah." Fate went on, straightening up and clasping her hands together, she started rubbing her palms furiously, "All I have to do is to make them fall in love with us instead!"

"Oh, I'm sorry guys." Noel turned his attention back to Carlos and Fate. Fate stopped rubbing her palms and Carlos jerked up, "I can't believe we've forgotten about you two. I wanted this night to be special for my date…"

Carlos and Fate leaned close to Noel interestingly. "…but now," he went on, this time, turning his attention toward Fate, "…you made it extra special."

"Awww…" Fate blushed, giggling like a teenage girl with an obsessed popstar crush. Carlos shoved some Cockatrice meats down his throat before chortling with sheer excitement. "…this oughta be good."

Noel turned back to Serah, held her hand and went down on one knee. The smiles got wiped off Fate and Carlos's faces.

"Serah Farron, would you marry me?" Noel asked her.

"What?" Serah gasped.

"WHAT?" Fate hissed.

A shocked Carlos almost chocked and spat out the meat. The meat flew into the air and landed right onto another plate of delicious spaghettis. The waiter carrying the spaghetti didn't even see that happening as he was on his way toward an ordered table full of livid pirates. Carlos almost screamed, but stopped short by putting his hands over his mouth, eyes twice as large as before. Fate stood there with dropped jaws.

"Serah," Noel went on with Serah, ignoring what was happening in the background, "the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew… deep in my heart that you were the one. The one who would even make my Crystal Stasis shine no matter where I am." Noel said, "…I mean, I know that you're with Snow now, but I can give you more than—!"

"Noel," Serah interrupted him, briefly smiled, "It's okay. But… but you're right, I'm sorry. I still have things to deal with my fiancé Snow. So I don't think that…!"

"Wait, whoa, back up, strawberry shortcake. Your FIANCÉ?" Fate hissed_._

"Fiancé?" Carlos cringed in pain to that noun.

"Well…yeah." Serah said to Fate. "What, you didn't know I was engaged?"

Carlos glared at Serah, "NgggghOOOOO!" he hissed.

Serah blinked.

"The idea of this here date was for me and Fate to find someone whom we can have a _relationship_ with!"

"And it doesn't work that way if you're engaged with ANOTHER MAAAN!" Fate exclaimed.

"Wait a minute…" Noel stood up, finally turning his attention back to Carlos and Fate, "…you invited us for a double date?"

Serah also stood up, looking puzzled, "I thought you invited us for a lunch date with the Four Warriors of Light." Serah said, "Like Jack's been sponsoring since that Airship debuted."

"Say wha?" Carlos and Fate exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's been happening for a while now." Noel pulled out from under his belt a small parchment paper and showed it to Carlos and Fate, "So far I've met with Logan, James, and their companions Valerie and Tina. Haven't gotten the chance to meet with Kendall, 'cuz he's probably busy."

"I did." Serah confessed, "He's a really sweet fellow."

"Ahh, no kidding?"

Serah nodded, "Mhh-Mhh." She turned back to Carlos, "So when I heard you needed someone, I seized that chance! So I asked Valerie for a spot and she set me up!"

"James set me up." Noel said, "He just told me to join Carlos on his lunch date with Fate for a surprise. He never told me the surprise was me as Fate's actual date." He laughed. Serah laughed along.

Carlos and Fate laughed also, tensely.

"Well it was a big misunderstanding right?" Carlos said, "All is forgiven and forgotten."

"Yeah, but not _all _is forgotten…" Fate giggled mirthlessly before facing Noel, "like the stuff you just said about me? …haa-haa-haa… like a dagger in my heart… teehee…" she reached for a wizard cookie and took an angry bite to it.

Noel and Serah slowed their laughter, "…w-wait… what?" Noel said.

"Ohh, nothing." Fate stood up, chewing angrily and shaking her head, "I never liked you anyway, Noel Kreiss, so we're over."

"Err… we haven't even started."

"Exactly. Good luck on your failed marriage." She snapped her fingers and vanished into an explosive colorful cloud of sparkles and shine. Noel's eyes widened.

Carlos grabbed the plate of Wizard Cookies, grabbed another one and tears a large bite of it, "And I'm taking the Wizard Cookies. Somebody needs to look out for them before they get spoiled."

Serah gasped as if offended. Noel frowned.

Carlos snapped his fingers also and vanished before the duo just like Fate.

Elsewhere, a pirate chief at the pirate table was about to take a bite out of his contaminated spaguetti when Carlos reappeared in a cloud of magic, startling him and his crew. "WHAAAAAA!"

Carlos grabbed the plate of spaguetti away from the pirate chief then pointed the fork at him, "And you sir, needs to lose some weight!"

Another snap of the finger and he vanished again.

"RRRROOOOAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRS!" The pirate chief's angry roar filled the restaurant.

xXx

Warrior of Light Arus, Onion Knight Luneth, Terra, Bartz, Squall, Firion and Cecil entered the ship's Atrium.

"According to this fellow guy Noel, before he went on his 'lunch date'," Bartz said, "the Historia Crux can be used if we find something called artefacts."

"Artefacts?" Firion repeated, "What's that?"

"Keys that activate Time Gates." Squall said, "These objects can appear in any form, and are only identified as 'things that shouldn't exist'"

"Or 'items from another time'." Cecil said, "Items that don't belong in our time."

"Oh you mean like Big Time Rush?" Terra said, pointing at the guys who were trying to separate the brawling girls not far from the gang, "They're items from another time."

"Uhh… no, Terra." Luneth replied, "They're not items from another time. They are _people _from another time."

The gang looked over at the quarrelling group again that was constantly dragging people's attention.

"Okay, something is _definitely _wrong." Arus said before heading toward the commotion, "Hey, excuse me! What's going on?" he shouted at the boys and the large crowd who were still glued to the fight.

Kendall and James desperately approached the group. They were limping on one leg with their shirt and pants completely torn apart. "These girls…" Kendall breathed heavily, "…are OUT OF CONTROL!"

"They're vicious beasts!" James added.

"I'm on it." Luneth stepped forward, summoned his staff and immediately his attire changed from Onion Knight to Sage. He raised his staff, "Thunder!"

A lightning bolt struck between the girls, knocking them apart, but electrocuting Logan till he was completely smoked.

"Ouchie…" Logan fainted.

The Onion Knight reverted back to his regular form. "Sorry!" he called out.

Warrior of Light and the rest of the group finally seized the girls.

"All right. What is the big idea?" Warrior of Light asked.

The girls started arguing over each other.

"ONE AT A TIME, please!" The Warrior exclaimed.

"That vile malfested freak is up to her old tricks again!" Tina exclaimed, "Did YOU know that she's the one who tried to kill Lady Ashe and her companions!"

"We don't c—!" Kendall cut himself short, "Wait… what?"

"Yeah, that's right!" Tina replied, "She's also the one who framed us back in Ivalice!"

"Ohh, for Odin's sake," Lilina groaned, "would you just stop dwelling in the paaaaaast?"

Logan turned to Lilina, "Is it true?" he hissed.

Lilina looked around, all eyes were on her.

"The truth." Warrior of Light had his arms crossed.

Lilina hesitated for a moment. She lowered her head and sighed in defeat, "…yes, it's true."

"HAAAA!" Tina screamed while the crowd groaned at that abhorrent revelation.

"What?" Lilina protested, "I didn't know what I was doing back then!"

"Stop lying," Tina barked, "you knew_ exactly_ what you were up to!"

"And I'm afraid we're gonna have to arrest you," said Arus, "in the name of our Goddess of Harmony Cos—!"

"Jack's gone!" Valerie barked out loud.

All heads turned to her. Valerie put her hands over her mouth, realizing she blurted that out loud.

"What do you mean Jack's gone?" asked Fate who was just coming in to the group with Carlos.

"Gone!" she blurted out again, "Gone has in missing! Vanished! Without a trace!"

"Valerie! Now is not a good time to make jokes!" Tina exclaimed, "They're about to arrest my sister here and I wanna bathe in this glorious moment!"

"Thanks Trisha." Lilina bitterly said, "Appreciate the love."

"It's TINA!" Tina barked.

Valerie shook her head, "It's not a joke!" she turned to James, "James and I found his lance!"

"It's true." James agreed. Valerie summoned Jack's lance to her hands. "It was at the skydeck." James added, "And it feels cold. Like it's been in there for awhile."

"Okay, that is ridiculous guys." Logan argued, "Jack _cannot_ be missing!"

"Yeah," Carlos agreed, "especially since he always answered when you blow the secret whistle. Check it out."

Carlos put two fingers between his lips and blew the secret whistle, which sounded awfully familiar to the Chocobo theme song.

…no answer from Jack. It took the crowd a moment of silence.

"Huh!" Carlos said. "Jack really _is_ missing."

"This… is bad!" Bartz said and the crowd started babbling amongst each other with great concern.

"All right, everyone should remain calm." Warrior of Light said, "Jack must be somewhere on this ship. We just have to find him."

"And then we can arrest Lilina?" Tina asked. Lilina rolled her eyes.

Warrior of Light sighed in defeat, "…yes. Then we can arrest Lilina. Move out, everyone!"

And the heroes dispersed, on their quest to find Jack.

xXx

The Villains of Darkness were watching the entire event happening from Chaos' Underworld through a pool of lava. The lava shoot up like a volcano, making the image disappear. Kefka was then laughing like a drug-medicated maniac.

"You call that fun?" his laughter turned to a mad cry as he faced a Manikin before him, "YOU CALL THAT FUN?"

The frightened Manikin stepped back.

"YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT I CALL FUN?" Kefka barked before pointing at the Manikin. The Manikin vanished into an explosive cloud of smokes.

"Kefka, my eccentric friend." Jecht approached the clown and wrapped his arm around his shoulder, "We've reached fun since we took away these pests's friend. What more do you want?"

"For their psychotic-made TORTURES!" Kefka snarled, "This will NOT suffice. We need more."

"You mean _you_ need more." Exdeath replied.

"Exactly!" Kefka slithered.

"I can give you more." A delicate female voice replied to Kefka. Kefka turned to the figure and so did his group. It was Medusa who spoke,

"Since that's what you spoiled brat want anyway." she added, her full head of slithering snakes hissed at the clown.

She approached, "All you gotta do is say the magic word and I can give it to you in a snap."

Kefka scoffed, "Forget it, creepy split ends. I'm not associating myself to the likes of you." He turned away from Medusa and crossed his arms.

Medusa stopped short, "Oh...?" she said, "Not associating yourself with the she-devil in the flesh huh?"

She walked past and around Kefka, "You know what I can do to people like you? People who make a deal with me and then suddenly wanna back out of this mess?"

Kefka said nothing.

"You _know _what I can do to people like… HIM!" She whizzed around, grabbed Jecht swiftly in her arms and planted a juicy plumped kiss on his lips. Jecht struggled to break free. The snakes in Medusa's head hissed diabolically by that display.

Medusa finally let to off Jecht. Jecht stumbled back, fingers gripping on his throat, gasping for air. Jecht suddenly went on his knees, wheezing. All of the sudden, his skin hardened and its color changed to a bland concrete. Before the villains knew it, their fellow comrades couldn't move a muscle anymore. He was frozen solid. A statue.

All eyes turned to Medusa. Medusa then turned to Kefka. Kefka once again said nothing. But this time instead of pouting, he lowered his shoulders and sulked.

"I thought so." Medusa replied. She walked away from Kefka but once again around the Villains-Cloud of Darkness, Golbez, Exdeath, Sephiroth, Ultimecia, Kuja, and Gabraanth were the only ones present.

"So if I were you, freaks of Chaos," Medusa said, "I would gladly keep my words of not refusing my offer of dealing with these Cosmos pests."

She turned back to the Villains, "Do _you _want me to deal with these Cosmos pests?"

No answers from the villains. Just brief glances with one another.

Medusa grinned, "I thought so. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a couple of heroes to torture."

With a mighty strike of her staff to the ground, she vanished into an explosive puff of smoke and lava. The Villains of Darkness all looked at each other, shaking heads and looking annoyed.

"The Villains of the Darkness is expanding." Ultimecia said, "…but only at a cost."

"Who hired her in the first place?" Kuja complained, "She doesn't have the diva swagger that I do."

"Only one person could have hired her." said Exdeath.

"Artemis." muttered Sephiroth.

"Wrong." Exdeath said, "And it's not Dysley either." he strolled forward a couple of feet, "My energy for the void detects something far worse than current voids that we've encountered. This one is stronger. This one is a portal..."

Exdeath turned to face the Villains, "Both Dysley and Artemis have an ally besides Medusa. A time traveler."

The Villains said nothing. But one could sense that there were tension and worries among them at that peculiar moment.

"I don't know about you all, but the dark goddess must perish." Golbez muttered, "and so is her dark army, before it's too late."

xXx

"Jack! Jaaack! JAAAAAAACK!"

Almost the entire airship have been searching to and fro for their friend and conductor of the ship Jack, but to no avail.

"Where is he?" Logan said, filled with worry. "He always shows up when we call him."

"Yeah, now he doesn't." Tidus replied.

"You don't think he got... kidnapped, did he?" Terra asked.

Suddenly the sky reddened and an ominous roar filled the air. The flying ship began to shake and everyone started losing their balance. They screamed in panic, trying to hold on.

"What's going on?" shouted James.

"Chaos Army!" Arus concluded, "They strike again!"

All eyes turned to the reddish sky and a silhouette rode through the clouds as a godly image. It was a woman, wielding a staff. Her face was pale green but smooth and delicate. Her lips were like dark chocolate and her eyes seemed to be peering deep within the soul. But the most shocking feature of all was her hair. They were dancing... as if alive. They were...

"SNAAAAAAKES!" Carlos screamed before jumping behind James and Logan in hiding. All the other passengers roared in panic as well. Arus, Onion Knight, Cecil, Squall, Firion and Tidus all pulled out their weapons. So did Kendall, James, Logan, Tina, Fate and Valerie.

"What is that thing?" Kendall exclaimed.

Medusa chuckled, "Why hello there boys and girls."

"That's Medusa!" Lilina said.

"How did you know?" Tina asked.

"She's some sort of goddess from another time period that is not from this world!" Lilina replied, "She's not supposed to be here!"

"Yeah, like us!" James replied.

"Well, look who did their homework." Medusa said through the clouds, "In case you're wondering, I was summoned here to aid in the war of the gods. After all, I _have_ been spending 25 years torturing angels and humans... even though I really didn't do anything in the last 24...but hey, things just gets really old sometimes. So I needed a change in venue."

"What do you want from us, witch?" Arus exclaimed.

Ignoring Arus's question she went on, "Tell me boys." she addressed BTR, "Are you all familiar with the Historia Crux?"

The boys shook their heads.

"It's a precious of the most wonders of Artifacts I gotta tell you." Medusa said, "An enchanting crossroad that can let you travel through time. Maybe even take you home."

"Really?" Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan all pulled out huge smiles.

"GUYS, DON'T LISTEN TO HER!" Tina shouted.

"Ahh yes. Forgot one important deets," Medusa said, "Here to activate its wondrous power, you'll need an artefact. An object not from this world from what they say. Such object will surely help you travel through time even to and fro the wrong year. But look…". She turned back to the boys, "You boys seem to possess the purrrr-fect artefact."

"Really?" James said excitedly, "What is it?"

Medusa reached her hand toward the group then pulled it back, clenching her fingers. A powerful suction yanked James off his feet and a large void opened up before him.

"JAAAMES!" the guys shouted, quickly grabbing on to their friend by his leg. James screamed in panic. The guys suddenly felt their feet hovering from the ground toward the void. Tina, Lilina and the Warriors of Cosmos went for the guys, grabbing on to their legs as well. All were screaming to Medusa's ears. Screams of panic.

"THAT ARTEFACT IS US!" Logan exclaimed.

"YOU THINK?" Carlos exclaimed.

"HOLD ON GUYS! DON'T LET GO!" shouted Warrior of Light.

"I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Lilina squealed.

"THAT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME I HEAR YOU SAY THAT!" Tina exclaimed.

"IS THIS A TINE FOR JOKES?"

"EVERYONE, CALM DOWN AND JUST HOLD ON!" Kendall yelped.

Medusa scoffed, snapped her fingers again and the void stretched out its orifice and increased its suction power. Now the heroes were on the edge of letting go and their panicked scream got louder. Medusa laughed evilly as they were begging, "NO! NO! NO! PLEASE! LET US GO! STOP IT! GUYS NO! HOLD ONN! AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"HAAAA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

_To be continued..._

**Sneaks from Upcoming Episodes**

-A new OC makes his debut: Isaak Flyte the Ringbearer. He may share a connection with BTR, the prophecy, and the Historia Crux.

-Medusa's plans will be revealed.

-More Final Fantasy characters will make their triumphant debuts.

**Next _Big Time Final Fantasy_ episode**

**~Big Time Class Zero~**


	15. Ep13: Big Time Class Zero

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series belongs to Square Enix. Big Time Rush belongs to Nickelodeon TV and Music Corp.

**A/N**: If you guys were expecting an April Fools' joke concerning this story, think again. New chapters for Big Time Final Fantasy is real, and is happening. Do check my profile on updated chapters as they get published till the final episode.

Now enjoy the return of Big Time Final Fantasy.

* * *

**::Big Time Final Fantasy::  
**_**Realm Reborn**_

_**-**Ep.13: __Big Time Class Zero__**-**_

* * *

**First a look-back at all that happened in Big Time Final Fantasy****…**

Big Time Rush ended up in Cornelia and went on their first adventure in a rescue mission to save the Cornelian princess Sara from Garland. It was at that point that they learned they will not be going home yet. Garland hinted at their arrival and their purpose in the Final Fantasy, while the Heroes of Light and the Villains of Darkness (all the characters from the first Dissidia Final Fantasy) learned of Big Time Rush's arrival to the Final Fantasy. The Heroes went on the mission to protect the guys, while at the same time, delaying them from knowing their true destinies too soon, while the Villains plotted to control the guys and their destinies into the darkness' favor.

Traveling along was a White Mage named Tina and her Chocobo Chocolate, the enigmatic Magick Sisters, and Axel the multi-weapon specialist (from _KHIII Online HD_) on board the Big Time Airship, giving to them by King Cornelia, the guys traveled the Final Fantasy skies until they finally learn of their true destiny from the Dragon King Bahamut: the guys shall use their Crystals to ultimately destroy Darkness, but this will eventually put an end to Light as well, as Light cannot survive without Darkness, thus calling on the end of all Universe and eventually the beginning of a New World. The guys were upset about the outcome but had no choice but to go for it.

Ultimately the guys' meeting with the Dragon angered the god of discord, pushing him over the edge. He sends his army to invade Cosmos' Sanctuary, killing her in the process, and summoning Chaos Demons to invade the Big Time Airship, ultimately splitting up the entire group.

The guys finally reunited in Ivalice, and joined force with the 012 Heroes of Cosmos (from Dissidia Duodecim) who were revived the moment the Warriors of Light showed up. The group joined force to stop a planned assassination against three royals, engineered by one of these royals who happen to be a dark emperor seeking the resurrection of the fearful Thirteenth Crystal. The group thwarted the dark emperor plan and later met with the Warriors of Cosmos, who deliver news on Cosmos' fate.

Now it is up to the Warriors of Cosmos, and Big Time Rush—newly acquainted as the Four Warriors of Light—to find a way to restore Cosmos and proceed on their quest to end the war between the two gods.

But with such epic fate comes an epic adversary, as Big Time Rush and the Warriors of Light get confronted by yet another powerful enemy. And her name is Medusa. And she means business.

But what kind of business?

_[Uh-Oh! Uhoh! Ohhh!]_

**xxx**

Medusa couldn't help but enjoy the fine torturous scream of her enemies who were seconds to getting sucked into the void she had just conjured up.

She had been observing them for quite a while now, but none has gotten sucked into the dark hole yet.

Kendall and Tina had one hand barely gripping the ship's railing. The ship tossed and turned, unable to maintain itself thanks to the void's power.

Tina's other hand held onto her sister Lilina by the hand. Kendall's other hand held on to Logan's arm. Logan held on to Carlos's leg. Carlos held on to James's leg. And James was facing headfirst the void, screaming.

Medusa smirked. But she knew that underneath the fake smile she was stewing.

"What's the matter, boys?" she addressed the four young men about to get swallowed into the ripped hole suspended before her. A tone of annoyance hinted in her voice, "Can't go home or somethin'!? How about I'll help you out?"

"NOOO!" the boys screamed out loud, tears trickling down their faces.

"You, creepy lady! Stop it! STOP!" Kendall bawled.

"Whyyyy?" Medusa purred sultrily, "I was just getting started." the goddess rubbed her two fingers together, forming some dark speck of dusts.

"No, you just finished!" Tina yanked from Lilina's grasp. Lilina got pulled into the railing, but quickly grabbed hold of it.

Tina grabbed her staff and flung it hard into the void opening. Flashes of lightning overwhelmed the hole, briefly blinding everyone on the ship and Medusa.

"WHAAAAT?!" The Underworld queen gasped as the lightning flashes seemed to pull the void close, "NOO!"

Tina let go off the ship deck railing and flew into the void, screaming.

"Tina!" the boys and Lilina shouted.

Lilina tried to reach for her sister back but accidentally let go of the railing and got yanked into the sucking energy along, screaming.

Kendall's fingers were quickly slipping from the railing.

"HOLD ONNNN!" Logan screamed. But the void proved too strong for Kendall. He let go off the railings and his buddies instantly released their grasps at each other also. Everyone's scream vanished into the void. Cloud of red smokes, darkness and a blend of honking wind blast overwhelmed the skies in a swirl.

Medusa vanished also, leaving trails of her blood-curdling cries. The lightning and thunders flashed over her until there were no sign of her.

The swirl shrunk into nothingness and the skies regained its clear-blue colors again. Everything was as if nothing even happened. But panic and woes continued to flood the ship.

**xXx**

Carlos blinked open his weary chestnut eyes. A flood of dizziness assaulted his senses. He painfully groaned as he slowly shifted up. He blinked a couple more times to clear the blurriness off his vision. He could make out of his hazy eyesight a bright sky. The sun was right in front of him, blinding him temporarily.

"Unhh..." his voice was a hoarse whisper, "...where...am I?"

A round head moved in front of him, blocking out the sun and casting a burning shadow behind it. Carlos's hazy vision slowly cleared and he could make out the face standing before him: a white roundish head with yellow beady eyes and a green young plant growing on the top of its head.

The creature squealed.

"AHHH!" Carlos screamed, shuffling back until he felt an unconscious Kendall behind him. His eyes were now alerted before the creature. The creature cocked its head on one side.

"Guys… guys!" Carlos exclaimed, repeatedly slapping Kendall's shoulder. Kendall flinched, "Ow…" a low groan escaped his lips, "Carlos, quit it."

Logan and James moaned from the constant barking of their friends and managed to lift their eyelids up. "What's going on?" James mumbled.

Suddenly a red tomato, an onion, a pumpkin head and an apricot with a sharp horn on its head appeared before the guys, letting out sharp hisses.

"AAAAHHHHH!" The guys shot up straight from the ground, their terrifying screams startled the creatures. The creatures took off running, then wheeled around to face them and angrily chattered, their eyes were enflamed.

"Swords!" Kendall exclaimed. The boys reached over their waists. No swords.

"No swords! NO SWORDS!" James screamed.

"Where are all our swords?!" Carlos exclaimed.

"They're back on the ship!" Logan barked.

"Back on the ship? Why are they back on the ship?!" James exclaimed, "They're not supposed to be back on the ship!"

"THEY'RE COMING! THEY'RE COMING!" Kendall warned as the rogue veggies air-dashed toward them like speeding bullets, their feet barely touched the ground.

A powerful blast of air slammed the mandragoras to the side, sprawling them to a large oak tree. The boys stared, jaws on the ground. Standing before them was a teenage boy about the same height as James. Probably the same age as the guys also. His hair was radiant gold, raised up with red locks gracing his forehead. His eyes were citrus orange and he wore a beige red-hooded jacket over a black turtleneck one. His cargo pant were two colored: the crotch part was blue-jeans-colored, while the leggings were baggy-style and beige-colored, with two pair of belts around the hem. A crystal ring gleamed on the right pinkie finger.

The young man turned to the guys, "Hey, are you guys o-!" he stopped short. A faint gasp left his throat as he paled and stepped back.

"…you." He said, gazing at the guys after a minute of silence.

The guys exchanged glances before turning back to the young man. "…wait." Kendall creased his brow, "You know us?"

Carlos caught sight of the young man's shoes: converses! There were no converses in the Final Fantasy. Only in the real world!

"Guys!" Carlos whispered to Logan and James, gently tapping their chest to get their attention to the shoes. They noticed the footwear. Their jaws dropped. Kendall followed their gazes. The shoes appeared worn out and battered, like those of a homeless or a backpacker. Apparently, the young man has been here in the Final Fantasy for quite a while. But who was he?

The sound of wild Chocobo rustled the forest leaves, catching the young man and the guys' attention. The alerted man turned back to the group.

"Sorry. Love to sit and chat but I don't have time." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" the guys shouted. "Who are you?" Logan said. "What's your name?" Carlos said. "You can't just leave!" James exclaimed.

The young man paused briefly then turned back to the guys.

"Next time we meet, I'm getting your autographs." A smirk passed off his lips as he tossed a wink. The guys stared, gaped.

The young man raised his Crystal Ring fist and a mighty flash of light overwhelmed his body. The guys shielded their eyes from the light. The light dimmed and the guys saw the young man was gone like he was never there.

"Who…" Logan blinked, "Who was that guy?"

"Who _was _that guy?" James boastfully repeated the question, "That was a FAN!"

"Of course he was a fan! But from which country?" argued Logan.

"I dunno!" James exclaimed.

"I'm hoping Minnesota!" Carlos relished.

"He was definitely NOT from around here." Kendall said.

The Chocobo noises grew louder and the ground rumbled all the more. The guys turned to the source and before they knew it a Chocobo chariot swerved before them to a complete stop. The chariot window rolled down, revealing a guy and a girl inside.

The guy had black shoulder-length hair, green eyes and wore a black jacket, white pants, a long red mantle and stylish formal shoes.

The girl had shoulder-length brown hair and red eyes and wore a black jacket with gold shoulder pads, a red plaid skirt hemmed with black lace, and a red mantle. Her socks were black tight high and her shoes were black Mary Jane styles.

"Are you four all right?" The man asked.

Before the guys could answer, James stepped forward, "Are you a fan of ours?" he asked with a huge smile.

The man and the girl blinked before looking at each other.

Logan slapped James's chest. "Ow…" James flinched.

"Yeah, we're fine." Kendall replied to the duo, "We…" he paused, "…just got—!"

"You haven't been ambushed by any chance, have you?" The girl interrupted.

"We're patrolling the area for any suspicious criminal activities." said the guy.

"Have you seen a young man about Machina's height or higher? Oddly dressed... like you guys... and possesses a Ring? A Crystal Ring?" The girl said.

The guys stepped back in surprise. They SAW someone like the man they described.

"YEAH...!" James blurted out before the guys all agreed with each other.

"He actually-!"

Logan wasn't finished, "Where is he?" The girl asked.

"Because the man you speak of is an heretic to our goddess." The man barked, "A criminal. He has to be put to the death."

The guys looked at each other again and turned to the newcomers.

"A criminal?" said Kendall in shock. Shaking his blond head he muttered, "I don't think we saw someone with a Crystal Ring..." He turned to the guys, "Have you guys?"

Collectively James and Logan confirmed. "No, we saw a guy..."

"...but no Crystal Ring."

"Blond? Tall? Maybe."

Carlos appeared confused.

"Mm..." the guy turned to the girl, "Must be Ace in training." The man uttered to the girl, who nodded in reply.

"But guys..." Carlos said, "Didn't we see a Crystal Ring on his pink-!"

Logan and James slapped Carlos's chest. "OWW!" He flinched in pain.

"Anyway, I'm Machina." The man said.

"And I'm Rem." the girl said, "We're from the Perystilum Suzaku."

"Petroleum Sue-whaaa?" The guys frowned.

Machina chuckled, "Perystilum Suzaku." he said, "Looks like you're not from around here judging by your outfit."

"Right." The guys said in unison, "we're not."

"We're from another world. We're Big Time Rush." Kendall said, "I'm Kendall. And these are my friends James, Carlos and Logan."

"Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan." Rem smiled, "Nice to meet you. Would you like to come to our Perystilum? We can tell that you seem lost."

The guys chuckled mirthlessly, "That's one way to put it." James said.

"It's a really long story. So..." Logan muttered.

Machina smiled, "We got time."

**xXx**

Warrior of Light Arus watched all the passengers wail and complain over each other. Some begged to turn the ship around and back to Ivalice, some threatened to jump over if he and his comrades did not cooperate. They have crossed enemy territory, and some villains have already shown up: first Kuja, Kefka and Ultimecia; then Lilina the one criminal who tried to kill the Queen Ashe showed up, and if that's the least of all problems, Jack-who was supposed to conduct this ship-has gone missing. Now they just had to witness Big Time Rush and their girl companions get sucked into the void. What a terrifying experience that was for them.

But Arus had to find a way to calm them down. He had to come up with a plan to bring the Warriors and the girls back from where they got trapped. He blew a whistle, and the crowd subdued their turmoil... slowly.

"Everyone, please!" he shouted over to them.

Once the crowd got tone deaf, he went on, "No need to panic. I understand your plight. But..."

"They got sucked into a bloody void!" Someone from the crowd shouted out loud, and the crowd all in agreement went back to their wailing.

"Yes." Arus calmly spoke, "yes. They did get sucked into a bloody void. A void created by Medusa. But not all is lost!" He quickly added, noting some of the people in the crowd rolling their eyes and crinkling their brow, for they did not like his sarcastic comment. "We're still safe and sound."

"And the Four Warriors of Light are gone." a black Mage complained, "what are we gonna do now that the four Warriors of Salvation got sucked into a void by a witch with serpentine split ends?"

"Cosmos." shouted Squall before Arus could answer the black Mage. All heads turned to the lone wolf. "You are going to fight for Cosmos. And when you fight for Cosmos, you fight for the Light. And you fight for the Light, you will bring an end to Darkness."

For the first time since the ship got passengers on board, the crowd has gone completely silent. So silent that you could hear the resounding echo of a pin drop.

"...yeah, that doesn't sound the same." The black Mage muttered and the crowd murmured in agreement and went on with the complaints. Now Squall rolled his eyes, a groan of disappointment left his throat.

Onion Knight Luneth pulled Arus and Squall aside, "what are we going to do?" he said in a low tone, "the crowd won't fight for Cosmos unless Big Time Rush is present."

"The only reason they ever decided to fight for these people was because they defeated Artemis back in Ivalice. They expect them to defeat that dark goddess Medusa, but if they can't do that, what's the point fighting for what's right, right?"

"Why are you talking like this?" Squall said, his eyes were narrowed to a thread-shape.

"I'm just speaking from the perspective of the crowd here in this ship." Arus said, "Our goal now is to find Big Time Rush." He gazed over Luneth, "but we need to collect these Artefacts and put a stop to Emperor Artemis and put a stop to his attempt to find the Thirteenth Crystal."

Arus noticed the rest of Cosmos warriors joining in the conversation. He went on anyway, "But first and foremost, we have to find a way to revive Cosmos before Shinryu's arrival. Because once he comes in, we'll be too late and Chaos will completely win this war. Remember: this is our last chance of salvation. Our last hope."

**xXx**

_**-The Peristylium Suzaku-**_

"Surely you'll find this Magic Academy to your liking." Machina said, escorting Big Time Rush into the Peristylium's grand foyer.

Kendall had never seen anything quite like this, and the guys agreed. The academy had taken their breath away. The moment they had stepped into the courtyard they knew this place would be better than the Palm Woods. The fountain was the centerpiece of the courtyard and students wearing the same uniforms as Machina and Rem were seen going in and out of the building which was the size of some crystal palace.

Then they stepped into the foyer. Chandeliers made of gold hung on high ceiling; walls were made of brass, giving the lighting environment a soft glow. Huge embroidery carpets lay in perfect symmetry on red glass-looking floor, all pointing at the symbol of the academy in the middle, glowing with radiance.

"No way..." Carlos said, "I can't believe we're in a magic academy! This is so COOL!"

"I know!" Logan laughed, "I could learn a ton of subjects in this place: health, history, mathematics..."

"What are you talking about Logan?" James said, "They don't teach those here. Just magic."

Kendall raised an eyebrow. "Just magic?"

"Yeah, duh!" James replied, "They don't call it the magic academy for nothing."

Rem spotted two blond men coming in, "Hey, it's Ace and Trey!" she called out to them.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Ace and Trey." Machina introduced, "They are residents of Class Zero."

"Class Zero?" the guys said together.

"It's a…" Ace hesitated, "…special kind of class."

"Oh, like a yearly class!" Logan said, "Like the 2012 class? 2013 class?"

"More like a war class." Trey said. "Chosen ones to determine if we have the strength to prevent Fini and Etro's—!"

Ace elbowed Trey on the stomach. Trey grunted and rolled on the floor.

"He's just messing with you guys." Ace laughed nervously before pointing at Logan, "It's what the short one here said."

Logan frowned, "Wait, what?"

"I'm Kendall and these are my friends, James, Carlos and Logan." Kendall introduced, "We're Big Time Rush."

"Hai! Kya! Wah! Oh!"

The guys looked up at the sound of battle cries and flashing sword swings. They spotted a young woman with white hair tied in a ponytail. She also wore the same uniform as everyone in the school, but her cape was short and torn at the bottom.

"Hey, who's that?" Carlos pointed at her.

"That, is Sice." A girl introduced. Her voice sounded different from Rem. The guys turned to see her. She sported glasses and had dark flat hair.

"Sice is an antisocial tomboy who usually spends most of her time socializing with the male students and is known for having quite the potty mouth. That is, if she's not training by the balcony every day at noon with one of her infinite collections of scythes. Some says she has quite a few."

The guys turned to the girl with the glasses in surprise, "Really?" Kendall said.

Carlos leaned toward the girl with the glasses as if trying to decipher her, "Mrs. Harry Potter?" he called her.

The girl frowned, offended.

"That… is Queen." Machina introduced, "She's the class president."

"…who'd appreciate it if you get yourself a breath mint before getting your face so close to me." She said.

Carlos backed away, "Sorry." He then frowned, "And what you said is really cold of you."

"That's Queen." Rem laughed.

"But Sice there is worse than cold." Ace added, "She happens to have a strange obsession with death. Rumor has it she often wanders around neighboring graveyards during nightfall…"

"…and sold her soul to the Devil himself in return for immortality…" Queen finished with a dramatic tone.

The guys slowly turned to face Sice again, swinging wildly with her scythe. She paused for a moment then whisked her head down to glare at them, her eyes glimmered menacingly.

"AAHH!" Logan and Carlos screamed and quickly went behind James.

"Boo!" yelped another student from behind and the startled guys screamed and scurried behind Ace, Queen, and Machina. The duo sighed, rolling their eyes. Machina face-palmed and Rem giggled.

"Quit it, Nine." Trey said, "It's not funny to scar these easily-frightened dangerously-disturbed folks from behind like that."

"Did it work?" Nine grinned.

"I think I peed in my jeans." Logan squealed.

**xxx**

**-Somewhere in the Perystilium-**

After proper introduction from Class Zero, BTR were offered rooms to stay until they could reunite with their lost ones.

Carlos was walking down the corridor of the academy searching for his room. They all looked identical like at the Palm Woods, only except they had no numbers hanging on doors, just strange symbols.

He stopped before a door he felt familiar with. It was next to a Cactuar plant, and _his_ room was next to a Cactuar plant.

He turned on the knob and gently pushed the door open, letting himself in.

That's when he heard a sound. He stopped to listen. It sounded like a humming sound. He slowly walked in. Before he could reach the living room, he spotted it: the source of that humming sound.

It was a woman! In her twenties! In a bathing suit! She was hot with auburn hair, slender figure and… and voluptuous breasts. She had one foot up on a dining chair and was just about finishing pulling out a nylon she wore when she turned to face him.

"KYAAAA!" Her eyes snapped up in dread.

Carlos jumped back, startled.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?" the woman barked, "SECURITY!"

"Wait!" Carlos shouted, unable to recover from the shock, "No! It's not like that!"

The woman ran to the pile of clothes she left on the floor and yanked out a rapier from under it.

"Whoa!" Carlos jumped back. The woman approached with the blade.

"Tell me who in the seven hells you are and what are you doing in my room?"

"Your room?" Carlos said, "I thought it was my room!"

"Do you see your bed here?" she snarled.

Carlos glanced around, "Now that you mentioned it. Not really."

She harrumphed.

"But I do see your _strange_ collection of bathing suits." Carlos said, pointing out the pile of the intimates on the dining table, "Man, you got a LOTTA them!"

"GRAAAAAAAAHHH!" The woman rushed toward Carlos with the blade and a battle cry. Carlos screamed in panic.

"Carlos!" Kendall and James shouted.

"Fire!" Logan stretched out a finger. A blast of fire left its tip and rushed past the woman. The startled woman ducked, dropping her blade. The fire crashed through the closed window and allowed a rush of air to breeze through the room.

Immediately, Class Zero students came into the room. "Hanaharu-san!" Machina called her.

"Hannah-what?" Carlos gasped, his chest was heaving.

"Guys," Ace said, "This is Emina Hanaharu. She's an officer in command of the cadets here at the Peristylium."

"And what is she doing here in my room?" Carlos exclaimed.

"YOUR room?" she barked, "This is MY chamber!"

"She's right, Carlos." Ace added, "This is not your room. Yours is one more floor up."

"Really?" Carlos said, blinking, turning to the woman in the bathing suit with the lethal blade she had picked up by her feet again.

"Huh!" he said, "I could've sworn this room was mine."

James and Logan face-palmed. Kendall turned to the students, his face darkened with shame, "Seriously, you guys really need to put numbers on your room and your floor. Not symbols."

"HEY!" barked Emina, "Can someone CARE to tell me what's going on here and who are those people?"

"I'm sorry Mrs. Hanaharu-san." Rem bowed her head, "These guys… well, we met at the outskirts during one of our missions. They're called Big Time Rush. There's Kendall, James, Logan, and the one who saw you naked is Carlos."

Emina's face has gone so pale, her eyes, nose and mouth were missing. "I… was not… naked…"

"Sorry again!" Carlos exclaimed, laughing out loud awkwardly, "That was totally my fault! HA! Ha! Ha! Was totally uncalled for and won't happen again! I promise! Let's just get the hell outta here! See ya!"

Carlos pushed everyone out of the room and slammed the door behind him, leaving Emina all alone in the room. Quiet. Emina breathed a sigh of relief. She dropped her blade down and reached to pick up the rest of her clothing on the ground. She was heading toward her bathing suits on the dining table when the door swung open again.

"Seriously, Ms. Emina. Where did you get these bathing suits, Victoria's Secret?"

"GET OUT!" Emina grabbed a chair and chunked it at Carlos. Carlos shut the door fast before the chair could hit him and shattered at the door instead.

**xxx**

**-Class Zero Classroom-**

"So who are these… Big Time Rush fellows? What makes them so popular that they have to go into Emina's private chamber and disturb the most intimate moment of her life?" King, the eldest of Class Zero was asking his peers in the classroom.

"Seriously, did you see that pile of bathing suits?" Nine whispered to Queen, "Talk about self-obsession."

"Yeahh…" Queen said coldly, "Says the one who literally built the world's eeriest shrine in Emina's honor in his walk-in closet and named her Mrs. Nine." She rolled her eyes.

"Hey!" Nine exclaimed, "Emina is a well-deserving person!" he then muttered, "And my future wife." Then said out loud, "So show some respect!"

"You made a wig out of her hair!" Queen argued, "Even gods will flee from you and your respect!"

King noticed Nine and Queen bickering, "That's enough, you two!" He snapped. "We're at a stage of history where war is lingering upon us and our country, and until we are absolutely sure that these Big Time Rush men do not pose a threat to the Peristylium, we must find out more about them and their connections to the man with the Crystal Ring."

"But King, they told us already." Machina said, "They have no connection to this guy."

"And they told you that how exactly?" King said, "Care to share their exact words and phrase?"

"They just said they saw a tall and blond guy." Rem said, "We assumed it was Ace training."

Ace shook his head, "I wasn't. Wish I was. I would've avoided the many stories of Trey and his Chocobo climbing Mt. Corel and boarding the Phantom Train." He rolled his eyes.

"All of that _really_ happened, dude." Trey argued.

Entering the classroom were Deuce, Cater, Cinque, Sice and Seven.

"Did you see these four new guys in the academy?" Cinque said to the girls.

"The ones without their uniforms?" Deuce asked.

Sice grumbled. "What insolence they have to the school to have streetwear on. And what a poor taste of fashion."

"But very bold of them." Cater said, "And they won't get in trouble for it." She smirked, "Now that's what I call trusting your instincts and not thinking."

"Yes. Not thinking straight." Seven said, "Who invited them anyway?"

The girls turned to Machina and Rem. Seven noticed their awkwardness.

She scoffed, "Why am I not surprised?"

…

Logan was walking down the foyer when he heard muffled sounds coming from one room. It sounded like bickering. He braked on his heels, turned around and approached the noisy room.

The door was barely open, but he could see through its gap that it was a lecture hall. And inside was Class Zero.

A tall blond with a dark air in him was standing at the podium facing his classmates. Logan recognized them all: Machina and Rem, Queen, Nine, Seven, Sice, Cinque, Cater, Trey, Deuce, and Ace. They all looked tense. Maybe because that blond guy looked intimidating. And Logan felt that pressure. He so deeply felt it that at one moment he thought the blond guy had turned to stare at him, forcing him to step away from the door to hide.

"Look Seven, this is no time to be placing the blame on people." The blond man said to the silver-haired girl Seven, who was sitting pretty much couple of feet front of the door where Logan stood. "Right now we have a situation."

"Yes." Ace agreed, "We have a bigger problem than this you guys."

The talking went on and on in the classroom. Logan could feel stress and pressure in the classroom. But he didn't understand any of what they were saying. But he knew they were talking about intruders and threats to the academy. Apparently they have total access to the academy's crystal via all passages, including the secret ones.

"That's horrible!" screamed Cinque.

"We'll need to sound the alarm and place a maximum security on this academy." Queen said.

"How many of these spies are there, Ace?" Seven asked.

"Four." Ace said, "And they're not from Orience."

Logan stepped back from the door again. Hearing the phrases "Four of them" and "not from Orience" had placed his mind on high alert.

"Four. Just like our four young guests, Big Time Rush?" the blond intimidating dude said.

Logan suddenly felt his heart pounding.

"What are the odds?" Sice said with a slight chuckle, "They show up from out of nowhere and already we've got reports of spies on the loose, trying to break into our Crystal chamber."

"No matter." The blond intimidating guy said, "We need to set a trap on these intruders. Whoever they are, and whatever their stories are, they won't get away from the might of Class Zero. We'll annihilate them before they get the chance to tip the Empire on the secret passageway to the Crystal chamber."

"Oh no…" Logan stepped away from the door, stammering, "Ohhh no-no-no-no-no-no-no… ohhh…!"

He kept backing away until his back pressed on someone's chest. He turned around. It was James with a huge grin on his face.

"Hey, Logan! Guess what?"

"Please tell me you got into a reality dancing competition with celebrities?" he begged.

"Close! I've found a secret passageway to the academy's Crystal chamber!" he said cheerfully.

Logan's face turned bleach white.

James yanked out his cellphone from his pocket, "And I'm gonna text Kendall and Carlos all about it!"

"NO!" Logan slapped the phone from James's hands before he could press a button. The cellphone clattered on the floor, making a hollow sound in the empty hallway.

"What was that?" Ace was heard in the classroom. Class Zero has heard them!

_[UH-OH! UHOH! OHHHH!]_

Logan pushed James into a corner. The duo hid, watching with bated breath as steps echoed louder and louder from inside the classroom. Then they heard the creaking sound of the door being pushed open.

Then they saw a person's shadow growing as he or she was approaching the guys' hiding spot. Any second now and Logan and James would be busted.

**xxx**

**Sneaks from Upcoming Episodes**

-Did James and Logan get busted from spying on Class Zero?

-Tina and Lilina are spotted: in Eorzea, the Realm Reborn!

-More Final Fantasy characters will make their triumphant debuts.

**Next **_**Big Time Final Fantasy**_** episode**

**~Big Time Realm Reborn~**


End file.
